London: TV viewers have praised a BBC film crew who came to the rescue of trapped penguin mothers and their chicks they were filming in Antarctica.

The team capturing footage for the Sir David Attenborough series Dynasties took the rare decision to help out emperor penguins stuck in a ravine.

Emperor penguins and their chicks in Antarctica in a file picture. Credit:AAP

Their actions went against the usual stance of nature documentary makers not to intervene in the scenes they are filming.

"That camera crew deserved MBE's for saving them penguins #Dynasties," one viewer wrote on Twitter.