The show centers on Earl Hickey, a not-so-smart petty crook. He lives in fictional Camden county. Unexpectedly he wins the lottery. He is dancing in the street with joy over winning $100,000 when he is hit by a car. He decides this is karma paying him back for all the bad things he has done. Making a list of everyone he has wronged, he starts by righting the first wrong on his list. Suddenly the lottery ticket comes back into his possession again. This makes him think he was right about karma. He believes if he does good things to other people, good things will come to him. He uses his winnings to right his former wrongs, one at a time.