The BBC Gave Houston Mountains!

It would be an unbelievable sight to see the beautiful Houston mountains. Unbelievable because Houston sits about 50 feet above sea level and is famously one of the flattest major metro areas in America. If you’re looking for towering peaks around here, your best bet is a freeway overpass.

That’s why Houstonians got a good laugh last week when the BBC aired a World Cup studio segment following a match at Houston Stadium. The backdrop featured what appeared to be an AI-generated version of the Houston skyline. Most of it looked pretty accurate. The skyscrapers were recognizable. The skyline looked like Houston. But there was one tiny problem: mountains.

Lots of mountains.

On the left side of the image sat rolling foothills and towering peaks that looked more at home in Colorado than Southeast Texas. The BBC hasn’t commented on the image, but social media wasted no time turning the mistake into comedy gold.

Among the best reactions:

“The Houston Mountains are actually gorgeous this time of year.”

“BBC added some much needed mountains to the Houston skyline. Not bad, not bad at all!”

“They should do this. Just build some mountains. Good for tourism.”

Others wondered if the weather might be cooler in the Houston mountains or asked how the skiing conditions were this time of year. One person claimed they tore an ACL skiing there in the summer of 2020.

Some locals identified the range as “The Heights,” while others upgraded it to “The Highlands.” Another joked they had prime real estate available in those scenic Houston hills.

Even the Houston Rockets joined the fun, posting: “Just another beautiful day in the Houston Alps.”

Our hometown football club (soccer), Houston Dynamo, chimed in with their response.

For a city known for flat land, humidity, and traffic, it was nice to imagine a mountain getaway just a few exits down I-10.

Doug O’Brien