Bob Ross painted 403 episodes of "The Joy of Painting." The network aired 398. These are the other five.
- "The Scream" (Season 4, Episode 12). The usually serene landscape turned dark: one twisted, gnarled tree contorted in agony against a blood-red sky. Rumor has it Bob mixed an entire tube of Alizarin Crimson into his Titanium White by accident and decided to go with it.
- "The Kraken Awakens" (Season 7, Episode 3). A monstrous cephalopod rises from the depths and wrecks a peaceful seascape. Pulled after viewers reported nightmares and an inexplicable craving for calamari.
- "The Burning Bush, But It's Actually Just My Hair on Fire" (Season 9, Episode 8). The signature perm got too close to a candle, which Bob had painted into the background and then lit. Firefighters were called. The perm grew back, happily.
- "The Human Centipede, but With Trees" (Season 11, Episode 5). A row of trees connected end to end in a long, unsettling chain. Critics called it "disturbing." Arborists protested outside the studio, demanding justice for the trees.
- "The Joy of Painting... With Beets" (Season 13, Episode 1). Bob ran out of oils and finished the episode in what the network insists was beet juice. It was beet juice. The studio smelled like borscht for a year.
So the next time you're stressed, remember that somewhere out there is a happy little tree, screaming.
