As the legendary television series Saturday Night Live celebrates 50 seasons of (mostly) great comedy sketches, commercial parodies, political humor, and musical performances, we couldn’t help but wonder how Houston has been represented on the late-night show. The 50th anniversary special episode airs this Sunday, February 16.

Debuting in October 1975, SNL, then just known as NBC’s Saturday Night, was a mixed bag of sketches, stand-up comedy, pretaped mini-films, and even the Muppets (yes, they were everywhere in the 1970s). The show’s current format is now ingrained in the minds of multiple generations of viewers, who know to expect a celebrity host, a musical guest, Weekend Update, and, once in a while, a surprise cameo from a former cast member or politician trying to be in on the joke.

Believe it or not, Houston has sent plenty of its sons and daughters to the storied stage in New York City. In fact, H-town was in the house from the first episode. Native Houstonian Billy Preston was having a hell of a decade following his collaboration with the Beatles on their last studio album, released in 1970. He was a natural choice to be one of two musical acts on that debut episode, along with Janis Ian. The energetic keyboard player performed his chart-topping song “Nothing from Nothing” and new cut “Fancy Lady.”

The late, great actor and producer Shelley Duvall became the first Houstonian to host SNL. In her 1977 episode in the second season, Duvall goes toe-to-toe with Gilda Radner and John Belushi, shines in a few sketches with Dan Aykroyd, and employs an authentic Southern accent—not a stretch for any Houstonian.

By the time former Houstonian Patrick Swayze hosted SNL in 1990, the actor was riding high from recent hit movies Ghost and Dirty Dancing. That night, the star appeared in “Chippendales,” arguably the funniest sketch in the show’s history, with this simple premise: Two young exotic dancer hopefuls audition together on stage. Everyone knew that Swayze, before making it as a movie star, trained as a dancer in Houston, and he still had the body and the moves to prove it. Cast member Chris Farley joined him with his reliable fat-but-confident act. Both committed fully to the flashy dance moves. With Swayze playing it straight, goofball Farley matched the dancer’s shirtless moves earnestly and athletically. We laughed until we cried.

Poor Renée Zellweger, who in 2001 hosted SNL but was eclipsed by cast members and rising comedy icons Will Ferrell and Tina Fey. Zellweger, who left Katy for a successful, Oscar-winning career, wasn’t able to shine fully as guest host.

Cast member Maya Rudolph has portrayed Beyoncé, the world’s most famous Houstonian, several times, perfectly capturing her breathy twang. While she's appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest four times, twice with Destiny’s Child and twice solo, Beyoncé herself brought down the house in a 2008 sketch of a fictionalized backup dancer rehearsal for her hit “Single Ladies.” Playing it straight to cast members Andy Samberg and Bobby Moynihan and special guest Justin Timberlake—all in leotards, tights, and heels—Queen Bey needed some convincing. “Hi, we’re the dancers.” This bit never gets old.

Houstonian Jim Parsons was already plenty funny when he hosted SNL in 2014. He honed his comedy chops on the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, which had made him one of the highest paid actors on television. His opening monologue featured a Texas shoutout and even a song, where you could hear an ever-so-slight drawl. His sketches proved he could be a cast member. Let’s hope he’s invited back.

SNL has always had a way of catching athletes at their highest point, and showcasing their talents off the field. In 2020, Houston Texans defensive end J. J. Watt hosted, bringing his superhero size and easy charm. The bar is always set low for athlete hosts, who are untrained at performing, but Watt delivered in sketches including “Oil of BROlay,” the “just gay enough” line of men’s products.

Cameos are always staged so well on Saturday Night Live. At this point, it’s a foregone conclusion that a public figure, most typically a politician, will interrupt their own comic impression. The first to crash the show was President George H. W. Bush, who, via satellite from his Houston home, challenged Dana Carvey’s manic impression of him during a cold open in 1994. Turns out, the former prez was funny too.

In 2017, immediately following the Houston Astros’ first successful World Series appearance, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and George Springer surprised us with a walk-on during the Weekend Update segment. The New York audience gave a warm welcome despite the city being denied the World Series by the Astros in the playoffs just weeks earlier. Cast member Leslie Jones commented about Altuve what every Houstonian knows, “Good things do come in small packages!”

Houstonian Dan Crenshaw had just been elected to Congress in 2018 when cast member Pete Davidson took a cheap shot at the politician’s eye patch, gained while serving a combat mission in Afghanistan. The following week Crenshaw appeared on Weekend Update and accepted an on-air apology, and kidded Davidson with a few jabs of his own.

Perhaps the highest achievement for Saturday Night Live guests is being the host and musical act. Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Dolly, Willie, Miley, and of course Justin Timberlake are a few who have scored double duty. No one in Houston was surprised when Lizzo, and later Megan Thee Stallion (who have both called Space City home), earned the honor of hosting and singing. Lizzo, in addition to delivering “About Damn Time” and “Special,” absolutely kills in the Please Don’t Destroy video about writer’s block in her 2022 episode. Later that year in season 48, freestyle rapper Megan Thee Stallion, a Pearland High School and Texas Southern University alumna, lent her charm and talent as host and musical performer. She and cast member Ego Nwodim explored hilarious and limitless uses for the word “girl.”

Did you know there was once a Houston cast member? For the famously bad season 11, native Houstonian Randy Quaid, who was already an established actor with an Academy Award nomination on his résumé, joined an all-new SNL cast. Quaid nearly stole National Lampoon’s Vacation from star Chevy Chase, so his comedy chops were rock solid. During his 1985–1986 run on the show, he won the plum gig portraying a dopey President Reagan, but didn’t survive a nearly full cast purge for the following season. When his brother Dennis hosted in 1990, no one mentioned Randy’s fleeting run.