Actually Richard, the distinction between shanties and forebitters was noted, though the word "forebitters" wasn't used. Jim Mageean said something to effect that shanties were used strictly for work and only other songs were sang off-duty (or maybe he said "ashore"). I think your point about treating shanties as if they are a peculiarly English song-form is good comment, and makes me wonder why the script wasn't run past someone with a bit of knowledge before going to air. Perhaps they didn't want things to get too complicated, but a sentence or two about the international influences would not have been out of place.

Well, we are bound to all have our little quibbles. Considering that songs relating to the sea is a huge subject, the programme got round most aspects pretty well and in a sympathetic and engaging way. I thought the weakest part was at the beginning when someone (whose name I missed - would have been nice if the director had put in subtitles with people's names, which I think would have been only courteous) tried to get the crew of a brig to sing a shanty while bracing-up in the Solent. A brave attempt, but for me it showed that we sing shanties about four times faster than would have been practical.