[3] Despite their relatively minor commercial success (their third album was sardonically titled They Could Have Been Bigger than the Beatles), the Television Personalities are highly regarded by critics and have been widely influential, especially on the C86 generation, on many of the bands signed to Creation Records in the 1990s, and on American artists such as Pavement[4] and MGMT.

Treacy's unconventional but dryly witty and culture-infused lyrics, have led to his reputation as a seminal and iconic figure within the independent music scene.

The EP features their lone chart hit, the seminal "Part Time Punks",[8] written while Treacy was 17 years and living in a high-rise building on King's Road.

"[3] The song title and resulting media attention brought the band to the notice of the music press and rock establishment royalty they were parodying.

"[3] Later the promotion of the "14th Floor" single was supported by Joe Strummer, and they became a foundational band for Alan McGee when he began to form Creation Records.

[10] In the middle of 1980, the Television Personalities made their live debut following the recruitment of Joe Foster on bass and Mark Sheppard (known as Empire) on drums.

Prior to this, Dan and Mark helped out with Joe's solo project, the Missing Scientists, which included Mute Records head Daniel Miller.

According to critic Ira Robbins, with their 1984 album The Painted Word the TVPs "have drifted off into spare, droning psychedelia and ultra-restrained rock that's hauntingly beautiful, like the most delicate moments of The Velvet Underground.

Jeffrey Bloom joined on drums at a gig in Alan McGee's Living Room club and shortly afterwards Stephen Bird, AKA Jowe Head, replaced Flunder on bass.

Their subsequent album Closer to God was a combination of sixties style pop and darker material, and was similar in tone to The Painted Word.

[15] A gig at the Hanbury Ballroom, Brighton on 6 August 2005 ended in chaos after half an hour when Treacy had apparent difficulties with his guitars and mic stand.

[5] The NME described it as a "stunningly original record-harrowing and hilarious in equal amounts", while the BBC wrote that the album "captures the offbeat brilliance that made the TVPs indie legends in the 70s, characterised by Treacy’s endearingly slapdash attitude towards singing in tune and playing in time.