Toni Warner

Toni Warner
Shortland Street character
Portrayed by Laura Hill
Duration 2001–08
First appearance 5 March 2001
Last appearance 12 June 2008
Created by Jason Daniel
Introduced by Simon Bennett
Classification Former; regular
Profile
Occupation Nurse

Antoinette "Toni" Warner (née Thompson, formerly McAllister) is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Laura Hill from 2001 until 2008.

In 2008, Toni became the first character on the show to give birth, get married and die on screen.

Creation and casting

Following the departures of Rachel McKenna (Angela Bloomfield), Ellen Crozier (Robyn Malcolm), Kirsty Knight (Angela Dotchin), and the axing of David Kearney (Peter Elliott),[1][2] in 1998 and 1999, ratings for the show dropped dramatically in 2000 and producers decided to reinvent the show to boost audience interest.[3] Jason Daniel was hired as a consultant to drastically alter the show, making it more representative of the social climate of the time.[4] This included eliminating several characters, redesigning the hospital, toning down make up and clothing choices, and introducing a new cast.[5] One of the characters created by Daniel was 'Melanie Thompson', who would be renamed 'Toni' by her debut in early 2001.[6] Laura Hill was cast in the role.[7] Toni was the first of the new cast to appear.[5]

In 2007, Hill took 6 months leave to appear in a play in Christchurch. However Toni's exit on screen was left ambiguous so as to appear she may have left permanently. Hill published an open letter assuring her fans that this was not the case and pressed her imminent return.[8] Hill returned to the show in late 2007 but acknowledged that, "they weren't going to have too many options with the character".[9] Instead of using the show as a "net" and under the desire to expand her acting resume, Hill quit the show.[9] She cited health reasons under her resignation and stated, "Shortland Street’s been a big part of my professional life and a time of enormous change and growth for me. That has been great and, although I was ready to leave, it still was a passing of an era."[10] The character was killed off in June 2008 after coming down with norovirus.[11]

Storylines

Toni arrived in early 2001 and quickly started a relationship with Matt (Roy Snow) though she later dumped him and moved in with Donna Heka (Stephanie Tauevihi). After a short lived relationship with Adam (Leighton Cardno), Toni started a purely sexual partnership with senior surgeon Chris Warner (Michael Galvin). She fell pregnant and was unsure whether the baby was Chris' or Adam's. In May 2002 she gave birth to Harry (Joshua Thompson) and got back together with Adam after Chris was proven as the father. The two broke up but reconciled when Adam was stabbed, before breaking up again in 2003.

In 2003 Toni decided she loved Matt and the two married while on holiday. With the arrival of Chris' mother Margot Warner (Dinah Priestley), Toni and Chris' relationship was deemed possibly incestuous but the rumour was proved wrong when Toni's brother Dom (Shane Cortese) insisted he was really Chris' half brother. Toni divorced a cheating Matt and got back with Adam, only for him to leave her later that year. She briefly dated Logan (Peter Muller) but he went psychotic and kidnapped Harry. Toni and Chris reunited in Fiji and after Dom died while trying to murder Chris, he and Toni got engaged and she found out she was pregnant. The two married in 2005 but Toni miscarried and they separated. Toni decided to try the marriage again only to nearly get murdered by Chris' mistress Greta Saunders (Meryl Maine).

In 2007 Toni discovered Chris had cheated on her multiple times and having found her previous fun life with Chris' half brother Guy (Craig Parker), she fled with him, Harry (Henry Williams) and Tuesday (Olivia Tennet). Chris tracked them down 6 months later, but Toni and Guy fled and ended up nearly dying after getting in a serious car crash. Toni survived however, only suffering a burst kidney. Toni and Guy continued their relationship in 2008 however she dumps him and eventually reconciles with Chris, only to suddenly die after contracting Norovirus.

Character development

Characterisation

Upon arrival, Toni was labelled a "good time girl".[5] It was said she; "throws herself into the hurly-burly of a wild social life."[7] She was also said to make friends and enemies easily and despite her love of social activity, she is a commitment phobe.[7] Laura Hill found it interesting how fast Toni transformed from a "party girl" to a hard working mother in such a short time but said it was hardly surprising following the "roller coaster" of a time the character experienced.[8]

Reception

Toni was described as "popular" by producer Jason Daniel. However actress, Laura Hill stated she thought Toni had lost popularity following her final story lines.[10]

In 2006 Chris and Toni won the Throng Shortland Street Fan Award for "Best Couple" and Toni won runner up for "favorite female character".[12] She won the 2008 award for "most missed character" and her death winning both the "saddest moment" award and being runner up in "biggest letdown".[13]

References

  1. ↑ Whiteside, Andrew (14 September 2009). "Peter Elliott – 2009 Qantas Film & TV Award winner". NZ On Screen. NZ On Air.
  2. ↑ "Peter Elliott - Getting to the Art of it". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. 14 February 2000.
  3. ↑ Cleave, Louisa (October 2000). "TV: Familiar face comes back to the Street". The New Zealand Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved November 2011.
  4. ↑ Dunleavy, Trisha (June 2005). "Ourselves in Primetime: A History of Television Drama in New Zealand". Auckland University Press.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cleave, Louisa (5 April 2001). "Shortland Street gets real". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  6. ↑ Shortland Street Trivia Book. Penguin Publishers. May 2007. ISBN 978-0-14-300717-3.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Cleave, Louisa (5 April 2001). "Shortland Street's new faces". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "The Return of Toni Warner". tvnz.co.nz. Television New Zealand. 24 July 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Laura Hill exits stage right". stuff.co.nz. Fairfax Media. September 2008. Retrieved August 2011.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Life after death - Laura Hill talks about life after Shortland Street". New Zealand TV Guide (Fairfax Media). June 2008. Retrieved August 2011.
  11. ↑ "Shortland Street's shock death of Toni Warner". Throng. June 2008. Retrieved August 2011.
  12. ↑ "Shortland Street fan award winners 2006". Throng. December 2006. Retrieved August 2011.
  13. ↑ "85000 votes determine 2008 Shortland Street Fan Awards". Throng. December 2008. Retrieved August 2011.