Alternative TV, a British punk / post-punk rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Perry and Alex Fergusson. Their debut live appearance was in Nottingham supporting The Adverts, followed by the release of "Love Lies Limp" as a free flexi disc with Perry's Sniffin' Glue fanzine. Early singles included "How Much Longer"/"You Bastard" and "Life After Life", which featured Jools Holland on piano. Their debut album, The Image Has Cracked, was released in 1978. The band evolved into the avant-garde project The Good Missionaries in 1979, releasing one live album, Fire from Heaven. Mark Perry reformed Alternative TV in 1981 for the recording of Strange Kicks, then from 1985 to 2004 with the albums Peep Show (1987), Dragon Love (1990), My Life as a Child Star (1994), Punk Life (1998), Apollo (1999) and Revolution (2001). Returning with new musicians in 2014, he continued to perform in clubs and recorded the album Opposing Forces (2015). Several live recordings have surfaced, including Viva La Rock’n’ Roll (2003). In 2023, the band returned to the studio to record the album Direct Action.
