Joyce Murray is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Maggie Steed. Joyce was introduced alongside her husband, Ted Murray (Christopher Timothy), with the characters and castings being announced in April 2017 and Ted and Joyce making their first appearance on 26 May of that year. Both Steed and Timothy were excited to join the soap opera and were excited to be working together. Steed characterised Joyce as being a good and determined woman who adores Ted. Joyce's initial storyline revolved around her move to Albert Square, which she is not happy about, and her interactions with other characters, such as Dot Cotton (June Brown) and the new Taylor family. Joyce and Ted's backstories were explored when it was revealed that Ted is keeping a gun in the house, which Joyce does not approve of. When a traumatised Ted accidentally shoots Johnny Carter (Ted Reilly), Joyce tries to protect Ted by taking the blame and she is arrested, although the truth later comes out. It was later announced that Steed had been written out of EastEnders and Joyce made her final appearance on 30 March 2018, when the character was killed-off in her sleep. The aftermath of her death included the exploration of Ted's grief and the introduction of their daughter, Judith Thompson (Emma Fielding). Joyce received a mixed reception from viewers and critics, and the character's decision to take the blame for Johnny's shooting was criticised. Joyce's death and the storyline's aftermath were considered emotional and devastating.
Casting and characterisation In April 2017, it was announced that "legends of British TV" Maggie Steed and Christopher Timothy had been cast as Joyce and Ted Murray, respectively, on the British soap opera EastEnders. EastEnders executive producer Sean O'Connor revealed that he was delighted that Timothy and Steed had joined the soap, calling them "already much-loved by audiences", and he believed that it was "wonderful" to have "attracted such esteemed and acclaimed actors to the EastEnders cast". Teasing the characters, O'Connor teased, "The Murrays are a breath of fresh air to Walford having achieved a long-standing marriage. But it's not long before echoes of the past catch up with them. I'm very excited to see what these wonderful performers – and these fascinating characters – bring to Albert Square."
Steed revealed that she was "incredibly excited" to be joining "such a well-established" soap opera, and she was happy to be working with Timothy, who she believed was a "terrific actor" whom she would have a lot of "fun" with. Steed was very happy to join the soap with Timothy, explaining, "it really is very nice to come in with somebody else because those characters have got their own history together, and more importantly, it's very, very nice to come in with someone like Chris because we've got a lot in common and we respect each other a lot. So that's a saviour, really, because if you didn't have someone like that you really wouldn't be in with much of chance. We get on very well and we rely on each other a lot. I was thrilled when I heard it was Chris. Timothy was cast as Ted first; when Steed's casting as Joyce was finalised, an EastEnders writer told that Timothy that he thought that he would be "pleased" with Steed's casting. Timothy was also excited and "over the moon" to be working with Steed as he had admired her for a long time and cited her as one of his favourite actresses. He believed that filming their first scenes and episode together would very "exciting" and compare it the "first night in the theatre". Timothy also explained, "the bottom line is to do with us both being old school and I knew that, so I knew that even if we ended up not having anything in common we'd have that in common, when in fact we get on really well. It's great." Steed and Timothy met each other when they went to the set to meet Steve Finn, the director, and read their first few scenes from their first episode together.
Speaking about working on the soap, Steed admitted, "It's always strange walking into a set that you recognise so much, but you very soon get used to it is all I can say, and then you just carry on". Steed already knew her co-star Jenna Russell (Michelle Fowler) due to the pair being old friends and having worked together in the past, which she found "lovely", and Ian Lavender (Derek Harkinson), who she went to drama school with, which she found funny. Speaking to Woman's Weekly following Joyce's debut, Steed revealed that she was enjoying her time at EastEnders and felt lucky to have come into the show with Timothy "as a pair", commenting that they were "joined at the hip". She did not reveal much more about her character as she believed that giving away too much information about EastEnders is a worse crime than a minister leaving his "papers in a taxi!"
Steed described Joyce as a "very good woman", calling her "soft hearted" and "quite determined in her own way", and clarified that Joyce "adores" Ted, who she has been married to for nearly 60 years. Steed told What to Watch that Joyce "can get worried and frightened about things, but I think when push comes to shove she can be pretty strong as well". Timothy believed that Joyce and Ted are very "normal" and "hugely identifiable", and he believed that viewers would find similarities between the characters and people they know in real life. Timothy told Soaplife that the couple are "quite affectionate", explaining, that they "take the ride out of each other, but that's what every good marriage is like. There's a sense of humour underlying their relationship. You have your ups and downs, but actually everything's fine." Timothy revealed that he liked the characters of both Ted and Joyce, which he believed was "vital" as he believed that they would not have been able to portray them as well otherwise.
Development Introduction and initial storylines Joyce and Ted were characterised as having been married for nearly 60 years and having lived in Walford their whole lives, and the pair already know "legendary" established character Dot Cotton (June Brown). However, Ted and Joyce's lives are "upheaved" when they are rehoused from a nearby estate to Albert Square. It was teased that their move would "usher in new tensions and new drama". Steed revealed that Joyce is not happy about being rehoused to Albert Square as, in their fictional backstory, she and Ted have lived in their council block since the 1960s, which they loved as they saw it as a "sort of heaven" as they originally moved from somewhere that "probably where you had an outside lavvy and that sort of thing". Steed added that the couple "brought their kids up there and so they had lots of memories and then it was going to be just pulled down. It's a big thing to have to up-end at that age and go somewhere else and make a home. It's a very big thing." Timothy hinted that the Murrays could have a "neighbourly feud" with Dot, revealing that the pair discover that she is their new neighbour in their debut episode. The pair remember her as they used to be neighbours years ago and Joyce believes that Dot was "always poking her nose in" and does not seem interested in getting reacquainted.
Steed and Timothy made their first appearances as Joyce and Ted on 26 May of that year. The couple's first episode revolved around Joyce and Ted preparing for their "new adventure" by packing up their stuff and saying goodbye to their flat. They then move into their new home and meet Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), who wastes "no time" introducing herself: however, spoilers indicated that things would go "downhill" for the couple when Joyce discovers that Ted has brought a piece of their "past" with them and has broken their promise of a fresh start. EastEnderss Spring trailer suggested that Joyce and Ted would know the Taylor family – a new set of characters introduced the following month, consisting of Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) and five of her children. Sophie Dainty from Digital Spy questioned whether the Taylors could be connected to the Murray's secret. Joyce and Murray's first episode revealed that Ted had brought a mahogany box with a gun inside of it. When Joyce realises, she snarls at Ted and tells him to get rid of it, but he hides it instead. Weeks later, Ted and Joyce meet Karen, who has just moved in as their new neighbour, and she immediately gets on the wrong side of the couple. Ted and Joyce initially dislike the Taylor family and months later tensions reach "boiling point" when the Murrays get a "nasty shock" and find out that they have been burgled; Ted blames the Taylors and reports them to the police, although Karen's oldest son Keanu (Danny Walters) promises that they were not involved.
Shooting and arrest In September 2017, EastEnders aired a stunt which involved an arson attack and a gas explosion. As part of the stunt, it was reported that Ted would shoot someone, though it was not reported who it was. In the storyline, the explosion brings back "terrible memories" for Ted and Joyce struggles to keep him calm. The situation then gets out of control when Ted grabs takes out his gun for protection and he ends up shooting Johnny Carter (Ted Reilly) when he innocently goes to check on the couple. Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy had previously predicted that Johnny would be the character to be shot due to spoiler pictures showing Johnny in an ambulance and an earlier scene showing Ted talking about his time in the army, though he also predicted that it could be a member of the Taylor family or Dot, Johnny's father Mick Carter (Danny Dyer or Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker), as they had previously interacted with the Murrays too. Following the airing of the episode, which only showed the victim as a silhouette as the cliffhanger of the episode, Kilkelly's colleague Ben Lee reported how viewers believed that Johnny was the victim.
The following episode confirmed that Ted had shot Johnny and later armed police turn up following the shooting. Joyce decides to take the blame for the shooting and she is arrested instead of Ted. However, Joyce's cover-up is exposed when Johnny's "furious" mother Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) discovers the truth, so she and Mick confront the Murrays to get answers over what happened. Joyce, realising that the Carters are owed an explanation, tells them how Ted's traumatic past in the army is affecting his behaviour and Mick takes pity on the couple. Joyce and Linda also share a heart-to-heart about Ted's struggles and Linda begins to sympathise when Joyce reveals that Ted carries the burden of not being able to save his best friend and that he vowed to not let down his wife in the same way. Joyce and Ted's honesty result in the Carters not going to the police about the truth, but the police show up to the Murray's house and tell them that forensics have shown that Ted fired the gun, resulting in Ted being arrested for the shooting and Joyce is charged with perverting the course of justice. Digital Spy questioned whether the couple would face a prison sentence. The Carters forgive the Murrays and Johnny makes a full recovery and shows support to Joyce and Ted as their court date of sentencing looms, with the couple bracing themselves to learn their fates.
Death and aftermath