Another season of "Essentials Jr."

Bill Hader returns for his second season as the host of TCM's "Essentials Jr.", which shows movies that are supposed to be enjoyable for the whole family. Presumably, there's also an attempt to get the younger set interested in classic films. The first entry this season is airing tonight: Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men, at 8:00 PM.

I'm sure I've said something similar before, but it must be tough to program "Essentials Jr." and I'm glad I don't have to do it. I think my first exposure to 12 Angry Men was in my sophomore year of high school when we read the original teleplay in English class. As such, it's one of those movies that might be good for an adolescent audience, but I'm not so sure if it's good for the younger kids, who will probably just find it boring. (I don't think there's anything offensive in the movie; it's just talky and not the sort of thing that will hold the attention of the younger kids.) To be fair, of course, what interests older kids and younger kids are two things that are probably not very much the same. Ditto what interests boys and what interests girls.

Perhaps it's time for TCM to dust off a few more literary adaptations and make them "Essentials Jr." films.