Torchwood. Captain?

[St Germain]

I admit this is a tedious and pedantic question and it illustrates how purile my waking life is to know that I have actually discussed this with a friend in a pub, but: how is Captain Jack Harkness a captain when (please prove me wrong) there is no captain's rank in the RAF. Please note we have taken into account American citizens joining the RAF pre 1942. Could it be perhaps, and this is my lowly theory, be that he was in the USAF and has retained an army rank and transferred it over to the RAF by some implausible means? Or am I barking up the wrong tree and they've picked the Captain's rank because it's romantic and caddish?

[kempie]

Furthermore, although he wears the rank badges of a Group Captain on his greatcoat, an RAF officer of that rank is never addressed as Captain.

When The Doctor and Rose first met Jack Harkness during The Blitz he was posing as an American volunteer in the Royal Air Force i.e. he had not actually been commissioned. In 'reality' he was a former Time Agent and his rank may well originate from that.

[boink]

I didnt know he was in the RAF i thought he was just a USAF pilot, has it referred to him being in the RAF at all?

[morbidstorm]

He is from the realms of Doctor who. He is/was a time traveller himself travelling through time and space in his ship (before it blew up)
You could delv into peoples names, but dont forget that the Doctor does not work for the NHS or BUPA so is he a real doctor?
It is just the characters name and it could have come from Captain Jacks home planet where he was a Captain in their armed forces etc. He is not from Earth remember!

[beejaybee]

Anyone notice that Torchwood is an anagram of Dr. Who ????

[boink]

ohhh well done beejaybee, i hadn't noticed

[dot.hawkes]

Well I was looking forwartd to it and so was my 7 year old grandson who loves Dr Who, but it is just not suitable for him as there are too many scenes he will not be able to watch. I hadn't anticipated that at all. It is alot worse than Buffy or Angel, which my grandson loves.

[beejaybee]

There is a warning b4 the programme about unsuitable sceenes & it is on after the watershed.