Carrie Fisher joins network host Robert Osborne to co-host Turner Classic Movies' (TCM) hit film franchise The Essentials, premiering its seventh season on Saturday, March 10, at 8 p.m. ET. Each week they will handpick a timeless film classic and offer commentary on its cultural relevance and what makes it a "must-see." The Essentials serves as a cinematic roadmap for viewers that are both classic movie buffs and novices. Osborne and Fisher will begin the season of 25 films highlighting Breakfast at Tiffany's (March 10) and continue with such landmark titles as The African Queen (June 9), The Producers (May 5), King Kong (May 26) and The Lost Weekend (June 23).

Fisher joins an impressive list of former hosts including: noted actor, producer and director Rob Reiner; director Sydney Pollack; acclaimed director, actor and film historian Peter Bogdanovich and film critic Molly Haskell.

"We're excited to have Carrie team with Robert for this very special installment of The Essentials," said Tom Karsch, executive vice president and general manager for Turner Classic Movies. "Carrie is a compelling force in the film industry and an extraordinary writer. Her love, experience and understanding of film will bring a new outlook to our franchise making the duo excellent guides of exceptional films for our viewers."

The Essentials will air regularly on Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET.

Since her feature debut opposite Warren Beatty in Shampoo in 1975, Fisher has played an integral role in the film industry. She attained international recognition as Princess Leia, a role that made her a cultural icon in the box office hit Star Wars and the sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jed. On the literary front, Fisher's fourth novel, The Best Awful received rave reviews and she became a sensation with The New York Times bestseller Postcards from the Edge, for which she won the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. She has also written a screenplay with ABC Pictures based on her bestseller and frequently writes original pieces for several leading magazines including Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Details and Travel & Leisure.