U stands for 'Universal', meaning the film, video or DVD is suitable for anyone. Examples include Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang and The Princess & the Frog.
PG stands for 'Parental Guidance', which means that some parts of the film might not be ideal for younger children. Parents ought to think carefully before letting them watch. Examples of PG films are How to Train Your Dragon and Tooth Fairy.
12 is now only ever seen on videos and DVDs. As with the 12A, it tells parents that the content is best suited for those aged 12 and above. Examples, both of which were certified 12A for cinema, include Iron Man 2 and Avatar.
12A is only for films released at the cinema. It tells parents that the film is best suited for those aged 12 and above. Parents can take along under 12s if they choose, so long as they go with them! Examples include Iron Man 2 and Avatar.
15 means that the film, video or DVD is really only suitable for those aged 15 or above. Only people aged 15 or older are allowed to view a 15 rated film at the cinema or buy or rent a 15 rated DVD, video or game.
18 means that the film, video or DVD is only suitable for adults (people aged eighteen or over). Only adults are allowed to view an 18 rated film at the cinema or rent or buy an 18 rated video, DVD or game.
BBFC U ratingBBFC PG ratingBBFC 12A ratingBBFC 12 ratingBBFC 15 ratingBBFC 18 rating

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Dr Who writer is happy to scare you!

You voted the Daleks the scariest baddies in film or TV in our cbbfc poll last year. When we spoke to the makers of the show, they were thrilled that their villains had come top of the terrifiers.

The main writer for the latest few series of Dr Who is called Russell T Davies. Russell is famous for writing TV shows. He has been a fan of the evil aliens, who just love to 'EXTERMINATE' their enemies, since he was a little boy. In fact he is so fond of the metal monsters that he even has a model Dalek at his house!

He told cbbfc he's thrilled that our users still think the Daleks are scary, and he agrees totally with your decision. He said to us:

Delighted to hear that the Daleks are still the scariest!  I completely agree!  Thanks to everyone who voted, on behalf of the whole Doctor Who team.  It's much appreciated.  And rest assured, the Daleks are coming back soon, and they're going to be even more scary than ever!

Daleks were first shown on TV in the 1960s. In those days they were famous for being the Doctor's enemies but also for gliding around on their hidden wheels. Many people joked that it was easy to avoid them if you ran upstairs!

They are now even more scary though as they can fly and levitate, making it much harder to escape from them!

Now you can have a go at our latest poll - click here to vote for your favourite hero...
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