Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed is a documentary about the painter and television instructor whose calm manner and gentle landscapes made him a familiar figure to millions of viewers. The film examines how the business built around his name and image became the subject of a dispute after his death, with control over that legacy contested by the people closest to him. Much of the story is told through archival material featuring Ross himself, alongside interviews with his son Steve, his first wife Vicky, friends and artists who knew him, and art historians.

The documentary was directed by Joshua Rofé, who also produced it with Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone through their production companies. It was released in August 2021 and runs 92 minutes. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.9 from around 7,100 votes, while on TMDB it has a 6.6 from 119 votes. A critics' rating of 6.7 from 29 reviews places it close to the audience scores, suggesting a broadly similar response from both groups rather than a sharp divide. As a documentary, the film relies on the recollections and records of those involved rather than dramatic reconstruction, presenting the conflict over Ross's commercial legacy as a counterpoint to the public image of serenity he cultivated on screen.