BBFC Timeline

1912: The board was founded in 1912, and then titled the British board of film censors.

1916: When T.P.O’ Connor was appointed president of the BBFC, one of his first task was to give evidence to the cinema commission of inquiry, set up the national council of public morals in 1916.

1948: Arthur Watkins was appointed secretary to the BBFC In 1948, under the presidency of sir Sydney Harris. Both men had come from the home office, old Watkins was also successful playwright. 

1955: This time saw the rejection of a very different film, "The Garden Of Eden" about a mother and daughter who decide to become nudists. The film only showed bare breast and buttocks, but the film was regarded as unacceptable.

1964: Violence in Walter Grauman's "Lady in a cage" proved too strong for the BBFC in 1964 and the film was rejected on the grounds that it could invite and stimulate juvenile violence and anti - social behaviour by young people.

1971: Stephen Murphy, who become BBFC secretary in July 1971, resigned in 1975 and was succeed by James Ferman. One of the first films Ferman looked at was "The Texas chainsaw massacre" , which his predecessor had already refused  to rate shortly before his departure.

1987: Paul Verhoeven's film 'Robocop' was rated 18 without cuts in 1987, and the same on video a year later. The 2001 video version was submitted with additional material that had been removed by the film was submitted in the UK.

1995: In 1995 further controversy erupted over Larry Clarks film "kids", which some critics described as 'child pornography'. The BBFC considered the film very carefully and after seeking proof of age for all the actors concerned the main performers were in fact all over 18.

1999: In 1999, the BBFC re-examined the issues, in particular the perceived harm that under age viewing might cause. It was decided that the increased media sophistication of young viewers, the video was unlikely to prove harmful to the majority  of the likely audiences and it was accordingly rated 18 uncut.

2002: In 2002, the new 12A rating replaced the 12 rating for film only, and allows children under 12 to see a 12A film, provided that they are accompanied throughout by an adult.

2004: In late 2004, David Cooke was appointed BBFC director following Robin Duval's retirement. The first controversial film David Cooke had to consider was Michael Winter bottom's '9 songs', described by some commentators as most 'sexually explicit' film in the history of British cinema.

Created by Solomon Ssenyonga