Sam Brooks is a playwright, journalist and critic. Email him on sam@thespinoff.co.nz
The 80s were a time for wellness videos from all kinds of celebrities. But the best one? Dame Angela Lansbury's.
E3 is a whirlwind of press conferences, trailers and gamer reactions, and so much happens that it's almost impossible to keep up with it all. Sam Brooks has your essential E3 cheat sheet.
Nintendo had their E3 press conference today – and obviously the most important part was who's being added to the new Super Smash Bros. game. Sam Brooks takes a look at the new characters.
A talk show... about theatre? You mean Shakespeare and shit? Sam Brooks watches the first episode of Louise Wallace's Opening Night. Theatre is a hard sell. Even for people who enjoy …
The new trailer for the much-anticipated latest entry in the Final Fantasy/Disney crossover series Kingdom Hearts premiered at E3 today.
TVNZ's new series of documentaries explores the experiences of New Zealanders living with adversity. Sam Brooks reviews I Am.
It was a rough week for Dancing with the Stars, with a lot of low-lights (twerking, reggaeton) and only one shining highlight. Sam Brooks reveals this week's power-rankings.
The JRPG has been in decline for the past decade, but the Tales series continues to attract a dedicated audience. Sam Brooks investigates how it has survived so long.
What happens to the unused Pokemon who never make it to a game? They get leaked 20 years later and ruthlessly insulted.
Marama Fox is gone, god is dead, but Dancing with the Stars is still here - with TRIO dances? Sam Brooks power ranks whoever is left on this show. ELIMINATED: Robert …
Jono and Ben is back for another season, and they're refreshing their comedic stable with some new faces, most of them women. Let's meet them!
Lightbox has a bunch of new options – but are you wondering how to use them? Never fear, tech adept Sam Brooks is here to help.
Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You was as awkward as its title, and as bald a vanity project as they come.
Against all odds, the self-titled Shawn Mendes album is not only worth a listen, it's bloody great.
For some reason, there's a prohibition theme this week on Dancing with the Stars NZ! Alcohol or no, these are the power rankings.
All eight episodes of spy thriller-cum-love-story Killing Eve are now available to stream on TVNZ on Demand, and it's one of the best shows of the year.
A new David Cage game comes with a lot of hype and a lot of high promises. Does Detroit: Become Human meet the hype for the first time in Cage's career? Sam Brooks reviews.
Last year, Oddly Even won TVNZ's inaugural New Blood web series competition. This year and $100K later, the series launches. Sam Brooks talks to Oddly Even's three lead actresses about the …
Amazingly, Dancing with the Stars NZ continues despite Naz's untimely and controversial departure from the show. And as surely as the sun rises and sets, the power rankings come in.
Sam Brooks explains his decision to cut all men out of his comedy festival diet.
Half sports tournament, half trade show, all technology, all vaguely foreign to him. This is gaming editor's Sam Brooks' diary of the Intel Extreme Masters tournament in Sydney, where he spent three days last weekend.
As of today, there's a bunch of new ways to Lightbox! Sam Brooks counts them all, including premium subscriptions, movies, downloads and a kids corner.
It's week three but it feels like we've never had a world without Dancing with the Stars. We're down one Real Housewife™ but there are still 11 contestants left.
Commute week: Sam Brooks muses on the commutes of his life - from going to school with his grandfather to a puberty-filled school bus to bumming rides of friends, and what they meant to him.
Alice Snedden's Bad News is a new TVNZ OnDemand show in which Alice Snedden investigates the issues she's interested in – and makes it all about herself. Sam Brooks talks to her.
We're two nights into the dance off, and now we've seen all the acts. Who's trash talking? Who's balk walking?
