2020 finally bears good news: All 403 episodes of alla prima virtuoso Bob Ross's Joy of Painting are free to watch on Ross' official Youtube channel. Above, the first (1/11/1983) and final (5/17/1994) episodes of the show.
From Open Culture:
It's said that 90% of the regular viewers tuning in to watch Ross crank out his signature "wet-on-wet" landscapes never took up a brush, despite his belief that, with a bit of encouragement, anyone can paint.
Perhaps they preferred sad clowns or big-eyed children to scenic landscapes of the sort that would not have looked out of place in a 1970's motel…. Or perhaps Ross, himself, was the big draw.
Like Mister Rogers, Ross spoke softly, using direct address to create an impression of intimacy between himself and the viewer. Twenty years in the military had soured him on barked-out, rigid instructions. Instead, Ross reassured less experienced painters that the 16th-century "Alla Prima" technique he brought to the masses could never result in mistakes, only "happy accidents." He was patient and kind and he didn't take his own abilities too seriously, though he seemed like he would certainly have taken pleasure in yours.