TV picks for Jan. 9: Joan Crawford, 'Project Runway All-Stars,' 'Spoils of Babylon'

Before she was serving up camp with Bette Davis, Joan Crawford was a genuine movie star, which is why she's TCM's star of the month, with lengthy tributes every Thursday night. This week's offerings focus on her films from the 1930s, most notably "Grand Hotel" (7 p.m., TCM) and "Rain" (9 p.m., TCM).

"Project Runway All-Stars" (8 p.m., Lifetime) crowns a winner, but not before visiting the United Nations, where contestants reveal outfits inspired by their native countries. Bonus points to any designer who can talk Secretary General Ban Ki-moon into being a model.

Those who remember such epic miniseries as "The Thorn Birds" and "Shogun" are bound to get a chuckle out of "The Spoils of Babylon" (9 p.m., IFC), in which Tobey Maguire and Kristin Wiig play lovers who just happen to be brother and sister. Tim Robbins, Jessica Alba, Val Kilmer are along for the ride, as is Will Ferrell, playing the Shah of Iran.