Pauline Black

Acting

Pauline Black

Born

1953-10-23 (73)

Place of birth

Romford, Essex, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

26 titles

Belinda Magnus OBE DL (born 23 October 1953), better known as Pauline Black , is an English singer, actress and author. In a music career spanning over 40 years, Black came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the 2 Tone ska revival band the Selecter, which released four singles that entered the Top 40 charts in the United Kingdom during the 1970s and the 1980s, including "On My Radio", "Three Minute Hero", "Missing Words" and "The Whisper". Rolling Stone said of Black "Hands down, Pauline Black possessed the best voice that ever graced a 2-Tone release. Blessed with a bewitching soprano and dramatic panache, Black's voice reached plateaus that made every other musical deta…

Known for

The Vice poster
5.6

The Vice is an ITV police drama about the Metropolitan Police Vice Unit. Spanning five short series from 1999 and 2003, it follows the London Metropolitan police force's vice squad, where prostitution, underage sex, and such organised crime are regular occurrences. Most episodes end where the main villain is caught but often not in a 'naturally' concluded way expected from other TV dramas, and often ending with more unanswered questions than answered. Leader DI Pat Chappel struggles to manage the balance between his private and professional lives — as do the rest of the team. Working in the seedy underworld leads to a continual dilemma — the tension between the Vice Squad and vice-related crimes runs throughout the series and gives the show a rich viewing experience. The line of the team staying on the right side of the law is often blurred, as almost every member at different points submits briefly or permanently to the dubious temptations, sometimes with drastic consequences.

The Vice

1999

Out of the Blue poster
8.0

Ambitious DS Franky Drinkall's life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with epilepsy. His refusal to accept his condition leads him into a downward spiral and ultimately to his demise. DS Rebecca Bennett gives an ever-present emotional charge as she finds herself the subject of both PC Holder's and DC Allen's affections.

Out of the Blue

1995

No artwork available
NR

Riverside was a TV series broadcast on BBC2 in the United Kingdom featuring musicians, bands, actors, fashion designers, artists and comedians. It consisted of sketches, interviews and live performances. Guests included Alice Cooper, Steve Strange, Martin Rushent, Alan Adler, Clare Grogan, Paul Weller, Martin Fry, The Cure, The Smiths, New Order and Pauline Black.

Riverside

1982

Punk poster
7.9

Featuring original interviews with America’s punk pioneers and the U.K.’s most notorious bands, alongside a seamless blend of rare and unseen photos, gritty archival film and video, a crackling soundtrack of punk hits and misses, this documentary series explores the music, the fashion, the art and the DIY attitude of a subculture of self-described misfits and outcasts.

Punk

2019

Grownups poster
8.0

Follows the trials and tribulations of a group of twentysomething friends in Manchester, facing the decision to either settle down or carrying on partying.

Grownups

2006

Hearts and Minds poster
7.8

A young teacher begins work at a tough Liverpool comprehensive, where he has to deal with racism, homophobia and his students' poor backgrounds.

Hearts and Minds

1995

Film credits

2020s · 8 titles

White Riot poster
6.1

Exploring how punk influenced politics in late-1970s Britain, when a group of artists united to take on the National Front, armed only with a fanzine and a love of music.

White Riot

2020

Record On: The Specials - A Message to You poster
7.5

The Specials don’t just write memorable songs - they soundtrack moments in history. This film explores how the band’s music was influenced by social, economic, and political events and how they have continued to shape contemporary music and popular culture internationally, with their message of unity and harmony in the face of ongoing political and social challenges.

Record On: The Specials - A Message to You

2024

blur: To the End poster
7.3

Iconic British band blur (“Song 2”, “Girls & Boys”) comes together to record their first album in eight years – the chart-topping The Ballad of Darren – and prepare for the biggest concerts of their career, two sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. With footage of the band in the studio and on the road, plus performances of their much-loved, seminal songs.

blur: To the End

2024

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony poster
NR

The closing ceremony for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, held at the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr.

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony

2022

Sounds Like It's Christmas with Ken Bruce poster
NR

The broadcaster puts together his perfect Christmas playlist, and talks to some of the stars behind the festive classics, who choose their own favourite tinsel-covered tracks.

Sounds Like It's Christmas with Ken Bruce

2024

Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story poster
7.2

Pauline Black is a multi-talented figure who dedicated four decades to music, while supporting and campaigning for racial equality. Featuring excellent archive and contemporary footage, the film charts Black’s history – from her adopted background to the racism, sexism and hostility she faced on her journey through British life and the entertainment industry. It’s engrossing, essential viewing.

Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story

2024

2 Tone: The Sound of Coventry poster
7.8

The story of how 2 Tone, a record label from Coventry went on to have a global impact. The brainchild of Jerry Dammers saw dance music with a message dominate the charts from 1979.

2 Tone: The Sound of Coventry

2021

Coventry Cathedral: Building for a New Britain poster
NR

In November 1940, German bombers destroyed much of the city centre of Coventry and reduced the city's medieval cathedral to rubble. Just 22 years later, in May 1962, a new cathedral designed by Basil Spence was consecrated on the site. Built in a bold modern style, incorporating the ruins of the old cathedral and adorned with a wealth of modern artworks, Coventry Cathedral is recognised today as one of Britain's greatest postwar buildings. Using a wealth of rarely seen archive film, together with voices from yesterday and today, the film tells the story of the new cathedral and of the times in which it was created.

Coventry Cathedral: Building for a New Britain

2021

2010s · 4 titles

The Story of Skinhead poster
8.0

Don Letts examines the history of this notorious subculture in a fascinating documentary, which features interviews with members of different skinhead scenes through the decades. Beginning in the late 1960s, Don fondly recalls a time of multiracial harmony as youngsters bonded over a love of ska, reggae and smart clothes as white working-class kids were attracted to Jamaican culture and adopted its music and fashions. But when far-right politics targeted skinheads in the 1970s and 1980s, an ugly intolerance emerged, and Don reveals how the once-harmonious subgroup has since struggled to shake this stigma.

The Story of Skinhead

2016

Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records poster
6.9

This stylish documentary about the iconic ska, reggae and rock-steady label is a timely and wide-ranging celebration of british Jamaican working-class youth culture.

Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records

2018

Gershwin's Summertime: The Song That Conquered the World poster
4.5

The song "Summertime" was written by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward and although not thought to be directly involved, Ira Gershwin gets an official credit. The song soon developed a life of it's own beyond the original opera and has been recorded and adapted into many different styles of music from jazz to opera, rock to reggae, soul to samba. It has been recorded and performed in many different languages around the world and remains one of the most famous and best loved songs ever written. This documentary looks at its history, how it came to be created, and its subsequent history as it traveled through time and around the world. "Summertime" is the most covered song on the planet. At least 25,000 versions of it exist.

Gershwin's Summertime: The Song That Conquered the World

2011

The Selecter: Live at the Roundhouse poster
NR

The Selecter led by their iconic frontwoman Pauline Black, alongside an incredible talented band of musicians, and co-fronted by original member Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson perform at The Roundhouse in London. The anarchic passion that fuelled Selecter gigs during the 2 Tone era is still there, except the pair (Pauline & Gaps) are more driven than ever. Their confidence is sky-high and they’re also writing the best songs of their career, which is saying something given the enduring popularity of hits like Three Minute Hero, Missing Words and On My Radio.

The Selecter: Live at the Roundhouse

2018

1980s · 3 titles

Series credits

The Vice poster
5.6

The Vice is an ITV police drama about the Metropolitan Police Vice Unit. Spanning five short series from 1999 and 2003, it follows the London Metropolitan police force's vice squad, where prostitution, underage sex, and such organised crime are regular occurrences. Most episodes end where the main villain is caught but often not in a 'naturally' concluded way expected from other TV dramas, and often ending with more unanswered questions than answered. Leader DI Pat Chappel struggles to manage the balance between his private and professional lives — as do the rest of the team. Working in the seedy underworld leads to a continual dilemma — the tension between the Vice Squad and vice-related crimes runs throughout the series and gives the show a rich viewing experience. The line of the team staying on the right side of the law is often blurred, as almost every member at different points submits briefly or permanently to the dubious temptations, sometimes with drastic consequences.

The Vice

1999

Out of the Blue poster
8.0

Ambitious DS Franky Drinkall's life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with epilepsy. His refusal to accept his condition leads him into a downward spiral and ultimately to his demise. DS Rebecca Bennett gives an ever-present emotional charge as she finds herself the subject of both PC Holder's and DC Allen's affections.

Out of the Blue

1995

No artwork available
NR

Riverside was a TV series broadcast on BBC2 in the United Kingdom featuring musicians, bands, actors, fashion designers, artists and comedians. It consisted of sketches, interviews and live performances. Guests included Alice Cooper, Steve Strange, Martin Rushent, Alan Adler, Clare Grogan, Paul Weller, Martin Fry, The Cure, The Smiths, New Order and Pauline Black.

Riverside

1982

Punk poster
7.9

Featuring original interviews with America’s punk pioneers and the U.K.’s most notorious bands, alongside a seamless blend of rare and unseen photos, gritty archival film and video, a crackling soundtrack of punk hits and misses, this documentary series explores the music, the fashion, the art and the DIY attitude of a subculture of self-described misfits and outcasts.

Punk

2019

Grownups poster
8.0

Follows the trials and tribulations of a group of twentysomething friends in Manchester, facing the decision to either settle down or carrying on partying.

Grownups

2006

Hearts and Minds poster
7.8

A young teacher begins work at a tough Liverpool comprehensive, where he has to deal with racism, homophobia and his students' poor backgrounds.

Hearts and Minds

1995

Shrinks poster
NR

Drama series about the staff and patients of an upmarket psychiatric practice in London.

Shrinks

1991

Behind the camera