A band that emerged from the New York punk scene, Television produced the seminal album Marquee Moon (1977). In 1973, the band formerly known as The Neon Boys brought together Tom Verlaine (born Thomas Miller, guitar and vocals), who took his pseudonym from the French poet Paul Verlaine, Richard Hell (born Meyers, bass), Billy Ficca (drums) and, as new guitarist, Richard Lloyd. Having left to form his own band, The Heartbreakers, after some dissension, Richard Hell was replaced by Fred Smith, a former member of Blondie who played in the same clubs as Television, CBGB and Max's Kansas City. After a first single released by the independent label Ork Records, "Little Johnny Jewel", Television recorded the album Marquee Moon, which failed to make the Billboard charts (although it did reach no. 28 in the U.K.), Its inimitable style and the impressive work of guitar virtuoso Tom Verlaine make it an essential milestone in rock history, with tracks like "See No Evil", "Venus", "Torn Curtain " and the ten-minute bravura piece that gives it its name. The band, then under contract to Elektra Records, went on to record the album Adventure (1978), which failed to gain a wider audience and led to their split in July 1978. Tom Verlaine then embarked on a successful solo career, before reuniting with the same partners for the album Television (1992), demonstrating the quartet's influence on the independent scene of the time. Television performed at the Glastonbury festival in England, then disappeared again, returning for a few public appearances, notably at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in 2001. Following Richard Lloyd's announcement to leave the band for medical reasons in 2007, and his replacement by Jimmy Rip (born Rippetoe), Television played at the Beco 203 festival in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2011, and toured Europe between 2014 and 2016. Tom Verlaine's death on January 28, 2023 at the age of 73 brings the band's adventure to an end, leaving an unfinished 4th original album. Bassist Fred Smith died two years later, on February 5, 2026, at the age of 77.
