Joey Henderson
Encyclopedia
Joseph James "Joey" Henderson was a fictional character
that appeared on New Zealand
's longest running soap opera
Shortland Street
, and was the soap's first serial killer
. Although always a suspect, the audience did not learn Joey was the killer until December 2007. He was portrayed by Johnny Barker
, who was told four months prior to the reveal that his character would become the serial killer dubbed the Ferndale Strangler.
Since the characters departure in 2008, Joey has picked up an icon status as one of the most sinister villains in the long running soap.
, Luke Durville
, Kieran Mitchell
, Gavin Capper
and Steve Roberts. At first the character of Joey was displayed as a possible love interest for Claire Solomon until she becomes the first victim. As the year goes by Joey has minor storylines and though a suspect, the likes of Kieran, Scotty, Mark
and Luke seem to be of higher risk. The scent was put off Joey when false videos were released none of which contained Joey.
Johnny Barker
auditioned for the role after playing Jed Farris for two months in 2000. While auditioning, Johnny was asked to act nice then show a very dark side which puzzled Johnny as he was not told the character was the killer. Johnny was told the character was part of a huge storyline and had a big mystery about him and as soon as Claire was murdered, Johnny knew that Joey was involved. Johnny was informed after the murder of Brenda Holloway that his character was the Ferndale Strangler. To practice for the role, Barker channeled J.D. from the TV series Scrubs
and after the killer reveal, he channeled Dexter Morgan
from the TV series Dexter
Harry McNaughton who went on to play Gerald Tippett
, auditioned for the role.
In May 2007 it was announced that Joey would be arriving the following month, he was described as "roficient and eager - some would say over-eager - newbie nurse. Enthusiastic and co-operative, Joey is hungry for approval. He is less confident socially, but sure to be a hit with the ladies of Shortland Street." Barker enjoyed taking on the role, stating; "He's a little socially inept in not being able to communicate publicly - kind of like me". He made his first appearance on 18 June 2007 with his first line being: "The thing is I really want to be a doctor".
, where he harbored a secret desire to become a doctor. He quickly makes friends with Shanti Kumari
and Alice Piper
, who constantly play pranks on nursing manager Scotty
. Joey shows romantic interest in Claire Solomon and the two date, however Joey learns Claire used him to make Kieran Mitchell
jealous and the two part on bad terms. Joey later hears Claire had been murdered and tells shocked co workers it is likely a staff member who killed her.
Joey is amazed when his idol, ex All Black Buck Shelford arrives at the hospital. While taking Buck to radiology, the lift breaks leaving Joey and Buck stuck in. When Buck goes into cardiac arrest, Joey is forced to resuscitate him himself. This saves Buck's life and Joey is pleased to have earnt the respect of his co workers.
Joey continues to show frustration at the lack of attention he receives from females but is disturbed when Meg Harris hits on him drunkenly. She is also found dead and Joey is shocked to hear that it is the work of a serial killer. Joey strikes up a friendship with Steve Roberts and the two are frequently seen socializing at the IV. Joey applies for a room at the flat Kieran is staying at and after crashing Kieran's motorbike, becomes flatmates with him. Joey is later annoyed when Gerald Tippett
becomes a flatmate.
Joey approaches Beth Wilson in the carpark and after scaring her, is severely assaulted. Many begin to suspect that Joey is the killer including detective Lara Wade. Beth is soon found dead. Joey meets new nurse Tracey Morrison
and the two start to date, however she also shows romantic interest in Gavin Capper
. Joey notices that nurse Tania Jeffries
appears jealous at his and Traceys relationship. Joey is at the scene of a car accident and shows initiative when he saves a mans life. Joey is horrified to learn Tracey is an undercover cop and the two break up. Tracey is later discovered barely alive, after suffering at the arms of the killer.
Joey embarks on a relationship with Tania, but she shows little interest. He takes her to a park and sings to her and believes that he has successfully entranced her, however Tania starts a relationship with Kip Denton
. A furious Joey overhears Tania call him a child and in December 2007 it is revealed that Joey is the killer when he attempts to murder Tania.
Joey fails at his attempts to murder Tania and in 2008 starts to stalk Shanti. After failing to murder Shanti twice, Joey attacks a drunk stranger. Joeys mother arrives and Joey lashes out at her, scaring Kieran and Gerald. Joey gets placed in a surgical team but is belittled by Alice. Joey goes out clubbing with Alice and kidnaps her, placing her in a storage unit. The whole hospital and the staff realize Joey is the killer but have no evidence to arrest him. Despite turning up for work, Joey escapes and returns to Alice, performing a successful appendectomy on her. Alice escapes however and both Craig
and Kieran locate the storage unit. A bleeding Joey, is left to die by Craig but he escapes, making it to the strorage unit roof where he is attacked by Kieran. He then jumps to his death, proclaiming he will never be forgotten.
.
on a professional level. Joey is described as "sweet" and "caring" by Tania Jeffries
but is shown not to be sexually appealing to many of the women staff. In August it is made clear that Joey is heavily disapproving of women playing games with men and vents his frustration at Meg Harris. He is also shown to be uncomfortable around Gerald Tippett
who he presumes is gay. Joey is shown to be heavily affected by Tracey
cheating on him with Gavin
.
In 2008 Joey's past personality is shown to be a small portion of his true colours when it is revealed he is highly delusional, threatening, racist, sizest and homophobic. His mental states deteriorates to a state where he finds it hard to socialize in any situation. He is shown to be attracted to old friend Morgan Braithwaite
but has trouble becoming sexually aroused. His ego is also shown to be very large as Joey boasts about his kills and status.
and TK Samuels
.
At Mark's birthday, nurse Meg Harris drunkenly comes on to Joey, making him uncomfortable. She later has sex with Mark, who is married, in the toilets at The IV, a bar owned by lesbian Jay Copeland
. Joey strangles Meg and practices intubation
on her corpse. On August 13, 2007, Jay finds Meg's naked body in a rubbish skip outside of her bar, and new Detective Lara Wade
considers Mark and Joey, the prime suspects. Uncomfortable with Jay's sexuality, Joey strangles her and performs a thoracostomy on her, mere hours before she was meant to leave the country. On August 27, 2007, Dr. Kip Denton
and nurse Alice Piper
discover Jay's body in a bush.
Lara finds it curious at Joey's apparent lack of respect and understanding towards women. On September 28, Beth Wilson invites Joey into her apartment, and after killing her as well, he takes her body and performs an appendectomy on her corpse. Maia Jeffries
discovers that Beth is missing and finds IV tubing on one of her benches. Her body is found on October 5, 2007, near a jogging route used by nurse James Scott
. Orderly Steve Roberts, who dated Beth, also becomes a suspect after Detective Wade arrests him for stealing medical supplies, including tubing similar to that used in the murders.
In October Joey begins to use transportation of patients as an alibi to purposely put other patients into cardiac arrest
. When recently demoted nurse Brenda Holloway begins investigating the suspicious arrests, she discovers that Joey has been injecting them with suxamethonium chloride
. Before she is able to report her findings, Joey attacks her while wearing a Halloween costume and also injects her with the drug. Though a still living Brenda is found by nurse Shanti Kumari
, Brenda is unable to be resuscitated and Joey is able to steal her paperwork and delete other evidence from the hospital's mainframe computer
. When questioned, Lara Wade finds it strange in Joey's lack of ability to differentiate emotions.
Joey sedates undercover policewoman Tracey Morrison
, draws a surgical diagram on her abdomen
, and leaves her in the same place as Meg was found. She is discovered by Kieran and TK's nephew Wiremu Potae. Though she is unable to name Joey as her assailant, she does remember her attacker drove a white van. Joey begins to leave a series of notes found by hospital staff equating being a doctor to being God.
In the final week of the year, Joey develops a crush on Tania. The competition is fierce though with Kip also interested in her. Joey takes her to a park where he sings to her and they share a picnic. Joey later overhears Tania saying he is just a boy and she can not date him because of this. Joey is devastated.
On December 14, 2007, the audience learns that Joey is the killer, when he attempts to murder nurse Tania Jeffries
. In January 2008 it is revealed that due to Tania cutting her finger and later Kip's arrival, Joey is unable to kill her. He continues to follow her, and is enraged when she leaves for Thames
. However, Joey has a professional success when Nursing Manager James "Scotty" Scott allows him to join a pre-arrest team at the hospital. He attempts to inject another patient with Suxamethonium chloride, but is interrupted by Shanti, who has been dating Scotty. When he learns that Shanti is in an arranged marriage with new surgical registrar Dinesh Jivani, Joey tells Dinesh about her relationship with Scotty. Joey berates her for sleeping with Scotty, and later picks her up with the intent to kill her when her car breaks down. His plan is thwarted when she reveals the two are together while she talks with Scotty on the phone.
Joey returns to home and Kieran learns that Kip has been encouraging the nurse to study for medical school. Alice Piper notices how much darker Joey's personality has become, and Joey vents his anger on Kieren and Libby Jeffries
who are kissing when he arrives home. When Kieran tells him to get a life, a visibly upset Joey retreats to his room and begins practising a cricothyrotomy
, a procedure Kip had taught him earlier.
When his old nursing school friend Morgan Braithwaite
arrives in Ferndale, the two begin to flirt, while Joey begins plotting Shanti's murder in a garage space he has rented. Scotty again thwarts his plan, when he takes Shanti to dinner. Joey instead attacks a drunken woman named Heather, who he sees leaving a bridal shower alone. She is able to attract a passerby, and a sullen Joey escapes and returns home to Kieran and Gerald, who encourage him to follow his ambitions. At the hospital, Heather recognizes Joey, but he convinces her he was at the bar, though his presence leaves her uncomfortable. While celebrating getting away with his attack on Heather, Joey sees Morgan and Dinesh sharing a drink, and is pleased when Morgan reveals that she is not the maneater everyone thinks she is. Gerald decides to set Morgan and Joey up, but insecure Joey shoots his idea down. Gerald, with Kieran's help, continues with his plan anyway, and Morgan and Joey spend a pleasant day together. She reveals that she moonlights as a graphic novel
artist, though she shuts down when Joey attempts to discuss her mother's death. The two are able to reconnect later, when Joey invites her to his home and shows her the medical sketches he has done. Despite an interruption by Kieran and Gerald, the two begin to get intimate, but Joey is ashamed and angry when he is unable to perform sexually.
Joey attempts to correct his anti-social behavior, but reacts angrily when Scotty reveals that the promotion he has hoped for in jeopardy because the other nurses feel he doesn't have enough empathy for patients. Despite Joey's over the top reaction, Scotty promotes him to a level three nurse. His joy is short lived when his mother Kath arrives. Joey berates his mother for coming back into his life, leaving Kieran and Gerald bewildered. While alone, Kath asks him about his previous girlfriends, making Joey angry when she mentions Cindy, who he murdered years before. When the talk turns to Joey's childhood issues, he erupts in anger, advancing on his mother while revealing his grandmother had warned him not to end up like his mother. Kath is saved from his rage when Kieran and Gerald arrive home, and after Joey leaves, she warns them to be careful around him, as she leaves town.
Joey's attitudes towards patients continues to be a problem, and when a delirious patient mistakes him for her son, Joey injects suxamethonium into her IV. Scotty and Dinesh arrive, and are impressed when Joey is able to calmly help revive the woman. Still concerned about Joey's attitude towards patients, Scotty asks Alice to keep an eye on him. Already upset about seeing Alice flirting with Kip, Joey becomes angrier when she stops him from harassing a sex worker and tells him that Scotty has asked her to watch him. When an elderly patient reminds of his grandmother, Alice becomes alarmed at Joey's attachment to her. Alice suggests counseling, and when Kieran and Gerald agree, Joey realizes he must rein in his anger.
Lara Wade has continued to investigate Joey, and Kieran reluctantly tells her about the uncomfortable visit from Joey's mother. Tania decides to play matchmaker for Joey and Morgan, and Lara witnesses him yelling at Tania after she tells him Morgan fancies him. Lara tells Joey she believes he is the serial killer, while Scotty learns that Brenda had been in contact with a nurse in Port Moresby about resuscitation anomalies and begins to suspect Joey as well.
Alice, Tania, Shanti and Morgan invite Joey out for a night of partying, but when Alice is unable to leave immediately, Joey stays behind and abducts her. Craig, Alice's partner, alerts the police to Alice's disappearance. All suspicion falls on Joey, who still turns up to work. The police interview him but he reveals nothing. Lara tells Craig that they can not arrest the suspect until they have some evidence. The police give previous suspect Scotty the job of watching over Joey. Joey manages to escape Scotty's watch however by going toilet. When the police learn that Joey has two storage units, they arrive to arrest him but Joey escapes in a departing ambulance. Joey then arrives back at El Rancho. He strangles Gerald and considers killing him but instead uses him as bait. He gets Gerald to drive around in the van so that police get distracted while Joey goes back to Alice in the storage unit. While holding Alice captive in his storage unit, Joey performs a successful appendectomy while she is restrained. Barker particuarly enjoyed filming the climax scenes, saying; "The Scenes were awesome ... I put on the crazy hat and it was super fun to do that." When Joey releases one of her hands so she can use a bedpan, Alice instead throws it at him and stabs him in the leg with a pair of scissors. She is able to escape the unit, and Joey chases her until Kieran and Craig arrive.
After struggling with Kieran on the roof of the storage facility and being cornered by police, Joey jumps to his death on March 5, 2008.
s for the nights in question. However, there were numerous other characters in question that left both police onscreen and the viewers bewildered as to who the killer really was. Joey, Kieran Mitchell
, Steve Roberts, Gavin Capper
, Luke Durville
and James "Scotty" Scott
were all introduced as suspects, allowing the mystery to loom over who was the killer. Other already established characters were also cast a shadow over including Mark Weston
and Justin Salt
. All characters were given motives and it was left to the viewer to decide the killer, with the onscreen police uselessly arresting characters with no evidence. Following Claire's death it appeared as though Kieran was the killer and he was arrested after Meg was killed. However he was soon released and cleared off the investigation due to his brain problems. Steve, who was creepily interested in the killings was also arrested but only charged with burglary. Scotty who had fought with Brenda and whom Beth's body was found on his running track, was arrested in November but his charges were also dropped. Mark Weston became a major suspect after he was missing on the night of Meg's death and the fact he had slept with her the same night. After hours of questioning, Mark is dropped from the investigation. several other suspects were arrested for the murders. Both Gavin Capper and Justin Salt are arrested in December for both the murders and rape but viewers finally learn two days later that Joey is the killer.
while Dr. Callum McKay
holds her down. Callum then quips that he gets to murder the next victim. In the second scenario, Scotty
corners Shanti
in the supply room and begins to wind a piece of I.V. tubing around his hands. Finally, Alice Piper
invites Dr. Luke Durville
into her home. As she goes to get them some wine, Luke closes her front door and takes out a piece of I.V. tubing. The speculation surrounding the killer's identity grew so heated that Adam Rickitt
(Kieran Mitchell) was attacked by a woman who thought he was really responsible for Claire's death. Eventually, all characters that were attacked in the above three videos, were targeted by Joey throughout his reign. All the intended victims have now left the show.
The serial killer storyline received a huge surge in viewers with 624,000 tuning in to see Joey revealed as the killer and over 600,000 tuning into the characters demise. The accurate portrayal of Joey, led many to fear for Barkers safety and for producer, Jason Daniel to ensure Barker will be kept safe from angry fans. Barker hoped his portrayal would influence viewers, stating; "Grandmothers are going to hate me, kids are going to be scared of me, teenagers are going to think I'm hilarious - hopefully, and all those cynical people who don't like Shortland Street, but have got stuck into watching it, I think they'll appreciate it."
Barker was nominated for the 2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards
for Best Supporting Actor alongside Kirk Torrance
and Tammy Davis
. The award was given to Davis for his portrayal of Munter in Outrageous Fortune
. Barker was also nominated for the 2009 Best Actor award in the TV Guide Best on the Box Awards 2009 for his work throughout 2008.
Joey's death was specified as one of the targets in the 2008 Suicide Prevention Plan launched by Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton
to help accurately depict suicide on television.
Shane Cortese
who played killer Dominic Thompson
on the show for 2 years, praised Barker for his portrayal and stated: "I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's the start of big stuff for Johnny as he will always be remembered as
the Shortland Street serial killer and it will do wonders for his career." Chris Brush the deputy editor of the New Zealand
TV Guide
, compared Joey to Coronation Street
villain Richard Hillman
, stating the two were both great characters and ratings wonders.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appeared on New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's longest running soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Shortland Street
Shortland Street
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...
, and was the soap's first serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. Although always a suspect, the audience did not learn Joey was the killer until December 2007. He was portrayed by Johnny Barker
Johnny Barker (actor)
Johnny Barker is a New Zealand actor and professional musician. As a musician, he is currently focusing on his solo project after the breakup of his previous band, Nephew.-Early life:...
, who was told four months prior to the reveal that his character would become the serial killer dubbed the Ferndale Strangler.
Since the characters departure in 2008, Joey has picked up an icon status as one of the most sinister villains in the long running soap.
Creation and casting
With the fall of ratings in the 2006 cliffhanger, producers decided to start a storyline arc that would draw the viewer into staying tuned for a period of months to work up to the big cliffhanger at the end of the year. The producers came up with the idea of a serial killer plaguing the street and killing off much loved characters. To keep viewers enthralled, many characters were introduced or cast shadow over so there was a wide scope of potential killers. To make matters more secret, none of the cast or crew except some producers were told as to who was the killer until October 2007. The suspects introduced included Joey, ScottyJames Scott (character)
James Owen "Scotty" Scott is a fictional character on New Zealand's longest running soap opera Shortland Street and was portrayed by Kiel McNaughton from his arrival in March 2007, first as a guest character before returning in June 2007 as a core cast member, up until the characters axing in 2011...
, Luke Durville
Luke Durville
Dr. Luke Durville is a fictional character on New Zealand's long-running soap opera, Shortland Street. Durville has been played by Gerald Urquhart since the character's first appearance on 14 September 2007 and appears sporadically each year often disappearing from four to eleven months at a...
, Kieran Mitchell
Kieran Mitchell
Kieran Mitchell is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by British actor Adam Rickitt through numerous high profile storylines from early 2007 to mid 2010....
, Gavin Capper
Gavin Capper
Gavin Capper was a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street.He worked as a doctor under Dr. Justine Jones at Shortland Street Hospital, however the two have dislikes for each other....
and Steve Roberts. At first the character of Joey was displayed as a possible love interest for Claire Solomon until she becomes the first victim. As the year goes by Joey has minor storylines and though a suspect, the likes of Kieran, Scotty, Mark
Mark Weston
Mark Weston was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Tim Foley from September 2004 to August 2007.-2004-2007:...
and Luke seem to be of higher risk. The scent was put off Joey when false videos were released none of which contained Joey.
Johnny Barker
Johnny Barker (actor)
Johnny Barker is a New Zealand actor and professional musician. As a musician, he is currently focusing on his solo project after the breakup of his previous band, Nephew.-Early life:...
auditioned for the role after playing Jed Farris for two months in 2000. While auditioning, Johnny was asked to act nice then show a very dark side which puzzled Johnny as he was not told the character was the killer. Johnny was told the character was part of a huge storyline and had a big mystery about him and as soon as Claire was murdered, Johnny knew that Joey was involved. Johnny was informed after the murder of Brenda Holloway that his character was the Ferndale Strangler. To practice for the role, Barker channeled J.D. from the TV series Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
and after the killer reveal, he channeled Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan is a fictional character in a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, including Darkly Dreaming Dexter , Dearly Devoted Dexter , Dexter in the Dark , Dexter by Design , Dexter is Delicious and Double Dexter...
from the TV series Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
Harry McNaughton who went on to play Gerald Tippett
Gerald Tippett
Gerald Heathcliff Tippett is a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was played by Harry McNaughton from his first appearance in September 2007 up until his final appearance in September 2010.-2007-2008:...
, auditioned for the role.
In May 2007 it was announced that Joey would be arriving the following month, he was described as "roficient and eager - some would say over-eager - newbie nurse. Enthusiastic and co-operative, Joey is hungry for approval. He is less confident socially, but sure to be a hit with the ladies of Shortland Street." Barker enjoyed taking on the role, stating; "He's a little socially inept in not being able to communicate publicly - kind of like me". He made his first appearance on 18 June 2007 with his first line being: "The thing is I really want to be a doctor".
Departure
In January 2008 it was announced that Joey would be written out of the soap later in the year. Joey featured in a three part episode that aired in March 2008, that featured the death of his character. Joey's final scene aired on 5 March 2008 with his final lines being: "I am Joseph James Henderson. Gone but never forgotten."2007-2008
Joey arrives in June 2007 as a newbie nurse who had spent several years as a Red Cross nurse in an under-sourced clinic in Port MoresbyPort Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, where he harbored a secret desire to become a doctor. He quickly makes friends with Shanti Kumari
Shanti Kumari
Shanti Kumari-Scott was a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street, and was played by Nisha Madhan.She worked as Charge Nurse at Shortland Street Hospital and oversighted Maia Jeffries's department when she took maternity leave....
and Alice Piper
Alice Piper
Alison "Alice" Piper was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was played by actress Toni Potter.Alice worked as a nurse at Shortland Street Hospital in the Emergency Department...
, who constantly play pranks on nursing manager Scotty
James Scott (character)
James Owen "Scotty" Scott is a fictional character on New Zealand's longest running soap opera Shortland Street and was portrayed by Kiel McNaughton from his arrival in March 2007, first as a guest character before returning in June 2007 as a core cast member, up until the characters axing in 2011...
. Joey shows romantic interest in Claire Solomon and the two date, however Joey learns Claire used him to make Kieran Mitchell
Kieran Mitchell
Kieran Mitchell is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by British actor Adam Rickitt through numerous high profile storylines from early 2007 to mid 2010....
jealous and the two part on bad terms. Joey later hears Claire had been murdered and tells shocked co workers it is likely a staff member who killed her.
Joey is amazed when his idol, ex All Black Buck Shelford arrives at the hospital. While taking Buck to radiology, the lift breaks leaving Joey and Buck stuck in. When Buck goes into cardiac arrest, Joey is forced to resuscitate him himself. This saves Buck's life and Joey is pleased to have earnt the respect of his co workers.
Joey continues to show frustration at the lack of attention he receives from females but is disturbed when Meg Harris hits on him drunkenly. She is also found dead and Joey is shocked to hear that it is the work of a serial killer. Joey strikes up a friendship with Steve Roberts and the two are frequently seen socializing at the IV. Joey applies for a room at the flat Kieran is staying at and after crashing Kieran's motorbike, becomes flatmates with him. Joey is later annoyed when Gerald Tippett
Gerald Tippett
Gerald Heathcliff Tippett is a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was played by Harry McNaughton from his first appearance in September 2007 up until his final appearance in September 2010.-2007-2008:...
becomes a flatmate.
Joey approaches Beth Wilson in the carpark and after scaring her, is severely assaulted. Many begin to suspect that Joey is the killer including detective Lara Wade. Beth is soon found dead. Joey meets new nurse Tracey Morrison
Tracey Morrison
Tracey Morrison was a fictional character on the New Zealand Soap Opera Shortland Street. Tracey is portrayed by Sarah Thomson and first appeared on the show in 2007 and returned as a major character mid 2008. She departed in 2011.-Casting:...
and the two start to date, however she also shows romantic interest in Gavin Capper
Gavin Capper
Gavin Capper was a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street.He worked as a doctor under Dr. Justine Jones at Shortland Street Hospital, however the two have dislikes for each other....
. Joey notices that nurse Tania Jeffries
Tania Jeffries
Tania Jeffries is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Tania Jeffries is the younger sister to nurse Maia Jeffries, PA Libby Jeffries and daughter of hospital receptionist, Yvonne Jefferies...
appears jealous at his and Traceys relationship. Joey is at the scene of a car accident and shows initiative when he saves a mans life. Joey is horrified to learn Tracey is an undercover cop and the two break up. Tracey is later discovered barely alive, after suffering at the arms of the killer.
Joey embarks on a relationship with Tania, but she shows little interest. He takes her to a park and sings to her and believes that he has successfully entranced her, however Tania starts a relationship with Kip Denton
Kip Denton
Kip Denton was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.-2007-2009:He is a doctor at Shortland Street Hospital, who had filled in for Dr. Craig Valentine while he was in Australia...
. A furious Joey overhears Tania call him a child and in December 2007 it is revealed that Joey is the killer when he attempts to murder Tania.
Joey fails at his attempts to murder Tania and in 2008 starts to stalk Shanti. After failing to murder Shanti twice, Joey attacks a drunk stranger. Joeys mother arrives and Joey lashes out at her, scaring Kieran and Gerald. Joey gets placed in a surgical team but is belittled by Alice. Joey goes out clubbing with Alice and kidnaps her, placing her in a storage unit. The whole hospital and the staff realize Joey is the killer but have no evidence to arrest him. Despite turning up for work, Joey escapes and returns to Alice, performing a successful appendectomy on her. Alice escapes however and both Craig
Craig Valentine
Dr. Craig Valentine is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Renato Bartolomei for four years from May 2004 to September 2008....
and Kieran locate the storage unit. A bleeding Joey, is left to die by Craig but he escapes, making it to the strorage unit roof where he is attacked by Kieran. He then jumps to his death, proclaiming he will never be forgotten.
Posthumous appearances
The following day after his death, a picture of Joey is shown as Joey's locker is cleaned out while a song he has recorded plays, showing several characters react to the murderous months that had preceded. On March 11, 2008, Joey's mother Kath attempts suicide after his funeral. On March 19, Joey appears in a nightmare that Alice Piper has. In December 2008, Alice envisions Joey as a target when she practices shooting with Dr. Ethan PierceEthan Pierce
Dr. Ethan Pierce is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and was portrayed by Owen Black from August 2008 to January 2009 and again from May to June 2009...
.
Character Development
Characterisation
After arriving in 2007, Joey is shown as nervous and socially awkward. However he makes up for this in persistence and loyalty. He makes it clear he is only using nursing as a gateway career to medicine and admires doctor Kip DentonKip Denton
Kip Denton was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.-2007-2009:He is a doctor at Shortland Street Hospital, who had filled in for Dr. Craig Valentine while he was in Australia...
on a professional level. Joey is described as "sweet" and "caring" by Tania Jeffries
Tania Jeffries
Tania Jeffries is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Tania Jeffries is the younger sister to nurse Maia Jeffries, PA Libby Jeffries and daughter of hospital receptionist, Yvonne Jefferies...
but is shown not to be sexually appealing to many of the women staff. In August it is made clear that Joey is heavily disapproving of women playing games with men and vents his frustration at Meg Harris. He is also shown to be uncomfortable around Gerald Tippett
Gerald Tippett
Gerald Heathcliff Tippett is a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was played by Harry McNaughton from his first appearance in September 2007 up until his final appearance in September 2010.-2007-2008:...
who he presumes is gay. Joey is shown to be heavily affected by Tracey
Tracey Morrison
Tracey Morrison was a fictional character on the New Zealand Soap Opera Shortland Street. Tracey is portrayed by Sarah Thomson and first appeared on the show in 2007 and returned as a major character mid 2008. She departed in 2011.-Casting:...
cheating on him with Gavin
Gavin Capper
Gavin Capper was a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street.He worked as a doctor under Dr. Justine Jones at Shortland Street Hospital, however the two have dislikes for each other....
.
In 2008 Joey's past personality is shown to be a small portion of his true colours when it is revealed he is highly delusional, threatening, racist, sizest and homophobic. His mental states deteriorates to a state where he finds it hard to socialize in any situation. He is shown to be attracted to old friend Morgan Braithwaite
Morgan Braithwaite
Morgan Braithwaite was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Bonnie Soper since February 5, 2008. Morgan died on December 18 2009 after Kieran Mitchell accidentally ran her over with Rachel's car.-Character:Morgan Braithwaite was quiet, polite...
but has trouble becoming sexually aroused. His ego is also shown to be very large as Joey boasts about his kills and status.
The Ferndale Strangler
After dating Claire Solomon and realizing she was using him, off screen Joey kidnaps and murders a homeless Claire, dumping her body in the hospital skip. She is discovered by a ex lover Mark WestonMark Weston
Mark Weston was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Tim Foley from September 2004 to August 2007.-2004-2007:...
and TK Samuels
TK Samuels
Te Koha 'TK' Samuels is a fictional character in New Zealand's longest running soap opera Shortland Street, played by actor Benjamin Mitchell since early 2006.-2006-:...
.
At Mark's birthday, nurse Meg Harris drunkenly comes on to Joey, making him uncomfortable. She later has sex with Mark, who is married, in the toilets at The IV, a bar owned by lesbian Jay Copeland
Jay Copeland
Jessica "Jay" Copeland was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Jaime Passier-Armstrong and was first introduced in mid 2004 and appearing until her murder in mid 2007.-Creation:...
. Joey strangles Meg and practices intubation
Intubation
Tracheal intubation, usually simply referred to as intubation, is the placement of a flexible plastic or rubber tube into the trachea to maintain an open airway or to serve as a conduit through which to administer certain drugs...
on her corpse. On August 13, 2007, Jay finds Meg's naked body in a rubbish skip outside of her bar, and new Detective Lara Wade
Lara Wade
Lara Wade is a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street portrayed by Anna Henare. She investigated the murders of female staff at the Shortland Street Hospital....
considers Mark and Joey, the prime suspects. Uncomfortable with Jay's sexuality, Joey strangles her and performs a thoracostomy on her, mere hours before she was meant to leave the country. On August 27, 2007, Dr. Kip Denton
Kip Denton
Kip Denton was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.-2007-2009:He is a doctor at Shortland Street Hospital, who had filled in for Dr. Craig Valentine while he was in Australia...
and nurse Alice Piper
Alice Piper
Alison "Alice" Piper was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was played by actress Toni Potter.Alice worked as a nurse at Shortland Street Hospital in the Emergency Department...
discover Jay's body in a bush.
Lara finds it curious at Joey's apparent lack of respect and understanding towards women. On September 28, Beth Wilson invites Joey into her apartment, and after killing her as well, he takes her body and performs an appendectomy on her corpse. Maia Jeffries
Maia Jeffries
Maia Anne Jeffries is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Anna Jullienne from mid 2004 to early 2011, with the character starring in numerous high profile storylines alongside her on screen family....
discovers that Beth is missing and finds IV tubing on one of her benches. Her body is found on October 5, 2007, near a jogging route used by nurse James Scott
James Scott (character)
James Owen "Scotty" Scott is a fictional character on New Zealand's longest running soap opera Shortland Street and was portrayed by Kiel McNaughton from his arrival in March 2007, first as a guest character before returning in June 2007 as a core cast member, up until the characters axing in 2011...
. Orderly Steve Roberts, who dated Beth, also becomes a suspect after Detective Wade arrests him for stealing medical supplies, including tubing similar to that used in the murders.
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
. When recently demoted nurse Brenda Holloway begins investigating the suspicious arrests, she discovers that Joey has been injecting them with suxamethonium chloride
Suxamethonium chloride
Suxamethonium chloride , also known as suxamethonium or succinylcholine, is a paralytic drug used to induce muscle relaxation and short-term paralysis, usually to facilitate tracheal intubation. Suxamethonium is sold under the trade names Anectine, Quelicin, and Scoline. It is used as a paralytic...
. Before she is able to report her findings, Joey attacks her while wearing a Halloween costume and also injects her with the drug. Though a still living Brenda is found by nurse Shanti Kumari
Shanti Kumari
Shanti Kumari-Scott was a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street, and was played by Nisha Madhan.She worked as Charge Nurse at Shortland Street Hospital and oversighted Maia Jeffries's department when she took maternity leave....
, Brenda is unable to be resuscitated and Joey is able to steal her paperwork and delete other evidence from the hospital's mainframe computer
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
. When questioned, Lara Wade finds it strange in Joey's lack of ability to differentiate emotions.
Joey sedates undercover policewoman Tracey Morrison
Tracey Morrison
Tracey Morrison was a fictional character on the New Zealand Soap Opera Shortland Street. Tracey is portrayed by Sarah Thomson and first appeared on the show in 2007 and returned as a major character mid 2008. She departed in 2011.-Casting:...
, draws a surgical diagram on her abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
, and leaves her in the same place as Meg was found. She is discovered by Kieran and TK's nephew Wiremu Potae. Though she is unable to name Joey as her assailant, she does remember her attacker drove a white van. Joey begins to leave a series of notes found by hospital staff equating being a doctor to being God.
In the final week of the year, Joey develops a crush on Tania. The competition is fierce though with Kip also interested in her. Joey takes her to a park where he sings to her and they share a picnic. Joey later overhears Tania saying he is just a boy and she can not date him because of this. Joey is devastated.
Killer reveal
Tania Jeffries
Tania Jeffries is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Tania Jeffries is the younger sister to nurse Maia Jeffries, PA Libby Jeffries and daughter of hospital receptionist, Yvonne Jefferies...
. In January 2008 it is revealed that due to Tania cutting her finger and later Kip's arrival, Joey is unable to kill her. He continues to follow her, and is enraged when she leaves for Thames
Thames, New Zealand
Thames is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River. The town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel District Council....
. However, Joey has a professional success when Nursing Manager James "Scotty" Scott allows him to join a pre-arrest team at the hospital. He attempts to inject another patient with Suxamethonium chloride, but is interrupted by Shanti, who has been dating Scotty. When he learns that Shanti is in an arranged marriage with new surgical registrar Dinesh Jivani, Joey tells Dinesh about her relationship with Scotty. Joey berates her for sleeping with Scotty, and later picks her up with the intent to kill her when her car breaks down. His plan is thwarted when she reveals the two are together while she talks with Scotty on the phone.
Joey returns to home and Kieran learns that Kip has been encouraging the nurse to study for medical school. Alice Piper notices how much darker Joey's personality has become, and Joey vents his anger on Kieren and Libby Jeffries
Libby Jeffries
Olivia "Libby" Jeffries is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Fleur Saville from 2006 to 2010....
who are kissing when he arrives home. When Kieran tells him to get a life, a visibly upset Joey retreats to his room and begins practising a cricothyrotomy
Cricothyrotomy
A cricothyrotomy is an incision made through the skin and cricothyroid membrane to establish a patent airway during certain life-threatening situations, such as airway obstruction by a foreign body, angioedema, or massive...
, a procedure Kip had taught him earlier.
When his old nursing school friend Morgan Braithwaite
Morgan Braithwaite
Morgan Braithwaite was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Bonnie Soper since February 5, 2008. Morgan died on December 18 2009 after Kieran Mitchell accidentally ran her over with Rachel's car.-Character:Morgan Braithwaite was quiet, polite...
arrives in Ferndale, the two begin to flirt, while Joey begins plotting Shanti's murder in a garage space he has rented. Scotty again thwarts his plan, when he takes Shanti to dinner. Joey instead attacks a drunken woman named Heather, who he sees leaving a bridal shower alone. She is able to attract a passerby, and a sullen Joey escapes and returns home to Kieran and Gerald, who encourage him to follow his ambitions. At the hospital, Heather recognizes Joey, but he convinces her he was at the bar, though his presence leaves her uncomfortable. While celebrating getting away with his attack on Heather, Joey sees Morgan and Dinesh sharing a drink, and is pleased when Morgan reveals that she is not the maneater everyone thinks she is. Gerald decides to set Morgan and Joey up, but insecure Joey shoots his idea down. Gerald, with Kieran's help, continues with his plan anyway, and Morgan and Joey spend a pleasant day together. She reveals that she moonlights as a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
artist, though she shuts down when Joey attempts to discuss her mother's death. The two are able to reconnect later, when Joey invites her to his home and shows her the medical sketches he has done. Despite an interruption by Kieran and Gerald, the two begin to get intimate, but Joey is ashamed and angry when he is unable to perform sexually.
Joey attempts to correct his anti-social behavior, but reacts angrily when Scotty reveals that the promotion he has hoped for in jeopardy because the other nurses feel he doesn't have enough empathy for patients. Despite Joey's over the top reaction, Scotty promotes him to a level three nurse. His joy is short lived when his mother Kath arrives. Joey berates his mother for coming back into his life, leaving Kieran and Gerald bewildered. While alone, Kath asks him about his previous girlfriends, making Joey angry when she mentions Cindy, who he murdered years before. When the talk turns to Joey's childhood issues, he erupts in anger, advancing on his mother while revealing his grandmother had warned him not to end up like his mother. Kath is saved from his rage when Kieran and Gerald arrive home, and after Joey leaves, she warns them to be careful around him, as she leaves town.
Joey's attitudes towards patients continues to be a problem, and when a delirious patient mistakes him for her son, Joey injects suxamethonium into her IV. Scotty and Dinesh arrive, and are impressed when Joey is able to calmly help revive the woman. Still concerned about Joey's attitude towards patients, Scotty asks Alice to keep an eye on him. Already upset about seeing Alice flirting with Kip, Joey becomes angrier when she stops him from harassing a sex worker and tells him that Scotty has asked her to watch him. When an elderly patient reminds of his grandmother, Alice becomes alarmed at Joey's attachment to her. Alice suggests counseling, and when Kieran and Gerald agree, Joey realizes he must rein in his anger.
Lara Wade has continued to investigate Joey, and Kieran reluctantly tells her about the uncomfortable visit from Joey's mother. Tania decides to play matchmaker for Joey and Morgan, and Lara witnesses him yelling at Tania after she tells him Morgan fancies him. Lara tells Joey she believes he is the serial killer, while Scotty learns that Brenda had been in contact with a nurse in Port Moresby about resuscitation anomalies and begins to suspect Joey as well.
Alice, Tania, Shanti and Morgan invite Joey out for a night of partying, but when Alice is unable to leave immediately, Joey stays behind and abducts her. Craig, Alice's partner, alerts the police to Alice's disappearance. All suspicion falls on Joey, who still turns up to work. The police interview him but he reveals nothing. Lara tells Craig that they can not arrest the suspect until they have some evidence. The police give previous suspect Scotty the job of watching over Joey. Joey manages to escape Scotty's watch however by going toilet. When the police learn that Joey has two storage units, they arrive to arrest him but Joey escapes in a departing ambulance. Joey then arrives back at El Rancho. He strangles Gerald and considers killing him but instead uses him as bait. He gets Gerald to drive around in the van so that police get distracted while Joey goes back to Alice in the storage unit. While holding Alice captive in his storage unit, Joey performs a successful appendectomy while she is restrained. Barker particuarly enjoyed filming the climax scenes, saying; "The Scenes were awesome ... I put on the crazy hat and it was super fun to do that." When Joey releases one of her hands so she can use a bedpan, Alice instead throws it at him and stabs him in the leg with a pair of scissors. She is able to escape the unit, and Joey chases her until Kieran and Craig arrive.
Other suspects
Ultimately, the Ferndale Strangler was revealed to be "nice guy" nurse, Joey Henderson, whom the police had identified but discounted as a suspect, since he appeared to have alibiAlibi
Alibi is a 1929 American crime film directed by Roland West. The screenplay was written by West and C. Gardner Sullivan, who adapted the 1927 Broadway stage play, Nightstick, written by Elaine Sterne Carrington, J.C...
s for the nights in question. However, there were numerous other characters in question that left both police onscreen and the viewers bewildered as to who the killer really was. Joey, Kieran Mitchell
Kieran Mitchell
Kieran Mitchell is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by British actor Adam Rickitt through numerous high profile storylines from early 2007 to mid 2010....
, Steve Roberts, Gavin Capper
Gavin Capper
Gavin Capper was a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street.He worked as a doctor under Dr. Justine Jones at Shortland Street Hospital, however the two have dislikes for each other....
, Luke Durville
Luke Durville
Dr. Luke Durville is a fictional character on New Zealand's long-running soap opera, Shortland Street. Durville has been played by Gerald Urquhart since the character's first appearance on 14 September 2007 and appears sporadically each year often disappearing from four to eleven months at a...
and James "Scotty" Scott
James Scott (character)
James Owen "Scotty" Scott is a fictional character on New Zealand's longest running soap opera Shortland Street and was portrayed by Kiel McNaughton from his arrival in March 2007, first as a guest character before returning in June 2007 as a core cast member, up until the characters axing in 2011...
were all introduced as suspects, allowing the mystery to loom over who was the killer. Other already established characters were also cast a shadow over including Mark Weston
Mark Weston
Mark Weston was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Tim Foley from September 2004 to August 2007.-2004-2007:...
and Justin Salt
Justin Salt
Justin Salt was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Heath Jones.Justin works as a surgeon for Justine Jones at Shortland Street Hospital....
. All characters were given motives and it was left to the viewer to decide the killer, with the onscreen police uselessly arresting characters with no evidence. Following Claire's death it appeared as though Kieran was the killer and he was arrested after Meg was killed. However he was soon released and cleared off the investigation due to his brain problems. Steve, who was creepily interested in the killings was also arrested but only charged with burglary. Scotty who had fought with Brenda and whom Beth's body was found on his running track, was arrested in November but his charges were also dropped. Mark Weston became a major suspect after he was missing on the night of Meg's death and the fact he had slept with her the same night. After hours of questioning, Mark is dropped from the investigation. several other suspects were arrested for the murders. Both Gavin Capper and Justin Salt are arrested in December for both the murders and rape but viewers finally learn two days later that Joey is the killer.
Alternative murderers
In a bid to keep the identity of the serial killer a secret, three alternate reveals were filmed, though each of the fake victims would later be attacked by Joey, the real killer. In the first scenario, Tania Jefferies is strangled to death by Dr. Justine JonesJustine Jones
Justine Jones was a fictional character on the TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street. Justine was originally played by Laurie Foell in 2005 and 2006, but was replaced by Lucy Wigmore in 2007 who portrayed her until September 2008 and as a guest character in July 2009.-Casting:Controversy struck in 2007...
while Dr. Callum McKay
Callum McKay
Callum McKay is a fictional character portrayed by actor Peter Mochrie in the TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street. He is a doctor and the Chief Executive Officer of Shortland Street Hospital.-Introduction:...
holds her down. Callum then quips that he gets to murder the next victim. In the second scenario, Scotty
James Scott (character)
James Owen "Scotty" Scott is a fictional character on New Zealand's longest running soap opera Shortland Street and was portrayed by Kiel McNaughton from his arrival in March 2007, first as a guest character before returning in June 2007 as a core cast member, up until the characters axing in 2011...
corners Shanti
Shanti Kumari
Shanti Kumari-Scott was a fictional character on the soap opera Shortland Street, and was played by Nisha Madhan.She worked as Charge Nurse at Shortland Street Hospital and oversighted Maia Jeffries's department when she took maternity leave....
in the supply room and begins to wind a piece of I.V. tubing around his hands. Finally, Alice Piper
Alice Piper
Alison "Alice" Piper was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was played by actress Toni Potter.Alice worked as a nurse at Shortland Street Hospital in the Emergency Department...
invites Dr. Luke Durville
Luke Durville
Dr. Luke Durville is a fictional character on New Zealand's long-running soap opera, Shortland Street. Durville has been played by Gerald Urquhart since the character's first appearance on 14 September 2007 and appears sporadically each year often disappearing from four to eleven months at a...
into her home. As she goes to get them some wine, Luke closes her front door and takes out a piece of I.V. tubing. The speculation surrounding the killer's identity grew so heated that Adam Rickitt
Adam Rickitt
Adam Peter Rickitt is an English actor, singer-songwriter and model.-Biography:Rickitt was born in Crewe, Cheshire, the youngest of four brothers. His father is co-owner of an estate agency...
(Kieran Mitchell) was attacked by a woman who thought he was really responsible for Claire's death. Eventually, all characters that were attacked in the above three videos, were targeted by Joey throughout his reign. All the intended victims have now left the show.
Reception
Before and after the killer reveal, Joey proved to be a highly popular character, being voted "Favourite Male character", "Favourite New character", "Hottest Male character", "Favourite Male actor" and "Best Storyline" in the Throng Shortland Street Fan Awards 2007. The following year Joey won "Best Storyline", "Best Single Episode" and "Best Thing to Happen in the Year". Voters also wished for Joey to return in 2009, either as a ghost, twin or in flashbacks.The serial killer storyline received a huge surge in viewers with 624,000 tuning in to see Joey revealed as the killer and over 600,000 tuning into the characters demise. The accurate portrayal of Joey, led many to fear for Barkers safety and for producer, Jason Daniel to ensure Barker will be kept safe from angry fans. Barker hoped his portrayal would influence viewers, stating; "Grandmothers are going to hate me, kids are going to be scared of me, teenagers are going to think I'm hilarious - hopefully, and all those cynical people who don't like Shortland Street, but have got stuck into watching it, I think they'll appreciate it."
Barker was nominated for the 2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards
Qantas Television Awards
The Aotearoa Film & Television Awards, formerly known as the Qantas Television Awards, are presented by the New Zealand Television Broadcasters' Council...
for Best Supporting Actor alongside Kirk Torrance
Kirk Torrance
Kirk Torrance is an actor and award-winning playwright from New Zealand, best known for his role as Wayne Judd in Outrageous Fortune. He is also a former Commonwealth Games swimmer. His debut play Strata won Best New Playwright at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards...
and Tammy Davis
Tammy Davis
Tammy Davis is a New Zealand actor. He has performed for film and television, including as Munter on the series Outrageous Fortune, and the film Black Sheep as 'Tucker', Davis also starred in Whale Rider and in Taika Cohen's short film Tama Tu. Davis also starred as "Mookie" in the sequel to "Once...
. The award was given to Davis for his portrayal of Munter in Outrageous Fortune
Outrageous Fortune (TV series)
Outrageous Fortune was a New Zealand comedy/drama television series, which was created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and was produced by South Pacific Pictures...
. Barker was also nominated for the 2009 Best Actor award in the TV Guide Best on the Box Awards 2009 for his work throughout 2008.
Joey's death was specified as one of the targets in the 2008 Suicide Prevention Plan launched by Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton
Jim Anderton
James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest...
to help accurately depict suicide on television.
Shane Cortese
Shane Cortese
Shane Cortese is a New Zealand actor and singer, known for his role as the evil Dominic Thompson on New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and Hayden Peters on hit show Outrageous Fortune. He was also a runner-up on Season 1 of NZ Dancing With The Stars in 2005.-Career:Cortese trained at...
who played killer Dominic Thompson
Dominic Thompson
Dominic "Dom" Thompson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Shane Cortese and since the characters death, Dom has picked up an icon status for his explosive storylines....
on the show for 2 years, praised Barker for his portrayal and stated: "I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's the start of big stuff for Johnny as he will always be remembered as
the Shortland Street serial killer and it will do wonders for his career." Chris Brush the deputy editor of the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, compared Joey to Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
villain Richard Hillman
Richard Hillman
Richard Charles Hillman was a fictional character in the British television soap opera Coronation Street, played by Brian Capron. Hillman is now rated as one of the best soap villains of all time.-Development:...
, stating the two were both great characters and ratings wonders.