Plot Synopsis

Inspired by the life of Robb Cullen, AVERAGE JOE is a one-hour dramedy series set in "The Hill" district of Pittsburgh, where a blue-collar plumber, Joe Washington, discovers his recently deceased father lived a secret second life: he stole millions of dollars from dangerous people just before he died. Now those people think Joe knows where the money is. A bloody and violent confrontation triggers a chain of events that force Joe and his close-knit circle of family and friends out of their very average and mundane lives into a life-or-death race against time to find the truth and the millions. On Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 11:30pm ET/PT, BET debuted a sneak-peek episode of AVERAGE JOE, with a simulcast on BET Her and VH1, immediately following the 2023 BET AWARDS. AVERAGE JOE officially debuts the following day -- Monday, June 26 -- with two episodes on BET+, with a new installment dropped weekly on Thursdays beginning June 29 through August 17.

About the characters:

Joe Washington: A hard-working blue collar Steelers fan. The day after the funeral for his father, Teddy, Joe discovers that his father lived a double life after being attacked by Russian mobsters who are looking for millions of dollars. Instead of panicking, Joe defends himself, but not without being injured along the way. This quick decision-making leads Joe, his friends, and unfortunately, their families into a dangerous race to find the money that Teddy stole.

Angela Washington: Joe's loving wife who suffers from a painful illness. Despite her illness, she works shifts as a waitress to help to provide for her family. She recognizes how hard Joe works for her and their daughter, Jennifer, and sees him as a true blue-collar guy until he comes home with dead bodies in his truck.

Leon Montgomery: A somewhat hapless hardware store owner. One of Joe's best friends. He is married to Cathy, who never gives him a moment of peace. Leon comes to Joe's rescue when he visits Teddy's office and finds that Joe was attacked by two Russian mobsters, including Jennifer's boyfriend, Dimitri. He offers to help Joe dispose of the bodies, but fumbles when he takes home one of the Russian men's cellphones, leading the friend group into a world of trouble that no one is prepared for.

Cathy Montgomery: Leon's ball-busting wife. She appears to have a strong dislike for her husband and is planning on divorcing him. Cathy is known for being obsessed with crime shows. Her obsession proves helpful when she saves Leon's life after a Russian mobster tracks one of the deceased mobster's phones to their home and attempts to kill Leon.

Benjamin "Touch" Tuchawuski: Joe's long-time best friend. He's a police officer with a vice for painkillers and heroin to help him get through his days. When he finds out that Joe and Leon are in trouble with the Russian mob, he decides to get his hands dirty instead of following protocol. He doesn't lend a helping hand without requesting a piece of the multimillion-dollar Russian mob money and Teddy's coveted Steelers ticket.

Jennifer Washington: Angela and Leon's eighteen-year-old daughter. She has a bright future ahead of her. Recently, she was accepted into Carnegie Mellon and is dating an appealingly innocent Russian boy, Dimitri.

Nicolai Dzhugashvili: A ruthless Russian mob boss and Dimitri's father. He will stop at no end to find his son and the money that Teddy stole from him before his unlikely demise.
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AVERAGE JOE made its linear television debut on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT on BET and BET Her.