Cryptic trailer for Netflix’s Bob Ross doc suggests not all accidents are happy
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed finally gives the beloved landscape artist the salacious documentary he deserves

Few names conjure such pleasant images as Bob Ross. With his clouds fluffy and free and his trees happy and green, Ross smacked his brush on his easel and taught the world to paint on the public TV classic The Joy Of Painting. But if we’re to believe the trailer for Netflix’s upcoming documentary Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed, something sinister lurks in that bountiful perm of his. Not that we know what betrayals and greed stalk the crevices of his private life because Netflix isn’t telling us.
Taking on some of the aesthetics of their popular true crime documentaries, Netflix’s trailer for Happy Accidents refuses to tell us anything about the mysterious goings-on of Mr. Ross, who died in 1995. But it does have the vibe of one of those “All the trees were happy…until they weren’t” memes. Directed by Joshua Rofé (Lorena, True Life: I’m An Adult Baby) and produced by Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falc0ne, the doc doesn’t sound like the tranquil artist we’ve come to know. Here’s how Netflix vaguely describes it:
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed brings us the shockingly untold story of the prolific landscape artist and host of The Joy of Painting. With a keen appreciation for nature, and a kind and gentle demeanor, Bob Ross encouraged everyone he met to embrace their creativity and believe in themselves, becoming a cultural phenomenon along the way. The man who famously said that there were no mistakes – just happy accidents – has brought sheer delight to the world for decades. Beyond the iconic hair, soothing voice and nostalgic paintings lies a mystery that many have yet to discover.
Netflix’s page for the documentary gives us a better idea of what’s going on here, stating, “A battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.”