VH1 has created its own syndicated video player, which it will use to distribute a new, original comedy series on its broadband channel, VSPOT. The new series is called Home Purchasing Club-- a spoof on the Home Shopping Network and similar cable channels. VSPOT will release eight episodes of HPC. The series was created by Sean Masterson, a former improv-er with Second City, and is being co-written by Jonathan Mangum, a writer for Reno 911! The program is going to be presented in sketch comedy style, and includes SNL actor Kristen Wiig and Diedrich Bader, who played Oswald on The Drew Carey Show. The series launches on VSPOT in two weeks on Monday, November 27th.

On a side note, VH1's new player doesn't work on Macs.

It seems like HSN has been promising this for a long time, but that time is finally here. The shopping network is debuting its shop-by-remote system for digital TV customers. HSN viewers have to pre-register their credit card information with the network and then point and click. No special remote or cable box is needed.

When it comes to interactive television, we're a little behind the times here in the good ol' USA. Britain and Asia have 39 interactive television channels but the technology development here in the US has been a little bumpy.

HSN shop-by-remote will be available first in New York and Hawaii and other cities will get the service in coming months.

Former Touched by an Angel actress Della Reese is fed up with the clothing available to plus-sized women like herself, so she's launching her own line. Reese, who is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, said the only clothes available to women of her size don't have any "oomph". Her new line will feature cocktail, office, and casual clothes in an array of bright colors and fits. Her line, Della Reese Fashions, will launch on April 4th on Home Shopping Network.

The FCC just released a report that says Americans would save up to 13% on their cable bills if the cable companies would just let us buy channels individually. That can't be making the cable companies happy, which insist on not only pushing channel packages on us, but also on raising their rates as much as 6% each year.

Channels I'd dump if I could buy cable a la carte: