<P> Plays and theatres had long been licensed by the Crown prior to 1737 . Licensure of a playhouse, however, only gave a general patent . The crown had no ability to censor before plays were performed . Under the provisions of the Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737 as extended by the Theatres Act 1843, the Lord Chamberlain's Office was able to censor plays . This role continued until the Theatres Act 1968 abolished the practice following several cause célèbres, and a long campaign by the theatre critic Kenneth Tynan among others . </P> <P> The British Board of Film Classification is the de facto film censor for films in the United Kingdom; since films not rated by the BBFC cannot be shown in most cinemas, or distributed as videos or DVDs, lack of BBFC approval generally makes productions of such films uneconomic . </P> <Ul> <Li> In the case of films shown in cinemas, local authorities have the final legal say about who can watch a particular film . Almost always local authorities accept the Board's recommendation for a certificate for a film . </Li> <Li> Under the Video Recording Act 1984, almost all video recordings must be classified by an authority chosen by the Home Secretary . This classification is then legally binding . Since the introduction of the Act, the BBFC has been the chosen authority . Certain works such as those that are related to sport, religion or which are designed to educate can be exempt from classification by the BBFC under the act . </Li> </Ul> <Li> In the case of films shown in cinemas, local authorities have the final legal say about who can watch a particular film . Almost always local authorities accept the Board's recommendation for a certificate for a film . </Li>

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