Pre-certification video
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Pre-Certification Video
In 1984 the UK government introduced a piece of restrictive legislation called the Video Recordings Act which effectively meant that all pre-recorded videocassettes had to be officially classified by an independent body called the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) before they could legally be released in Great Britain. There were some exceptions to this, such as music, educational, documentary and religious programmes providing they contained no profanity, sexual or violent content. These could be released with an Exempt status. Everything else had to be classified - and the costs of getting a cassette classified were quite high!
The years before the VRA (Video Recordings Act) came into force were a most interesting time for pre-recorded videocassettes in Great Britain as these were not subject to classification, certification or censorship by any official means (although some companies chose to implement their own, and of course the Obscene Publications Act (1959) meant hardcore pornography would have been swiftly and severely dealt with - at least if it was on ready display!).
These years, from about 1978 until the classifications finally took hold good and proper in late 1985, became known as the pre-certification years.
And the years of the pre-certification video became a halcyon era never again to be repeated on the shores of Great Britain, as this article will now investigate.
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References
Shock! Horror! Astounding Artwork From the Video Nastie Era
The Art of the Nastie