The Joy of Painting was an American television show hosted by Bob
Ross that taught viewers how to complete a painting of a landscape in thirty minutes.
The show was broadcast by non-commercial public television stations (distributed to them not by PBS but by what is now American Public Television,
Boston) (produced at WIPB in Muncie, Indiana) from 1983 to 1994. It also developed a cult following.
Each show began with Bob
Ross standing alone in a dark room in front a blank canvas. Over thirty minutes, Bob
Ross would turn the blank canvas into an imaginary landscape. His efforts were accompanied by a soothing monologue about the "happy clouds" and "happy trees" that he was creating with his brush.
Despite the death of Bob
Ross, the show continues to be broadcast in syndication on public television stations, and continues a multi-million dollar spin-off business bearing
Ross' name sells
art accessories related to the show.
There will be a video game for the Nintendo Wii based on the series entitiled: Bob
Ross: The Joy of Painting.
