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Image credit: Malcolm in the Middle: Fox

'MIDDLE' CHILD Muniz, ''Malcolm'''s pint-size star, is the stand-out surprise among this year's Emmy nods

The Emmy nominations announced the morning of July 12 were the usual mixture of surprise and dismay.

Surprises? Little Frankie Muniz of ''Malcolm in the Middle'' will be duking it out with ''Frasier'''s Kelsey Grammer, ''Will & Grace'''s Eric McCormack, Ray Romano of ''Everybody Loves Raymond,'' and -- hello! Didn't we send this guy back to the planet he came from? -- ''Third Rock from the Sun'''s John Lithgow. Muniz is doing at least as strong an acting job as most of these guys, plus ''Malcolm'' is the sort of slam-bang slapstick show that also puts him through some physical paces. Give the kid the statue, I say.

The other jolt was the nomination of Andre Braugher in the drama series category. His low-rated ''Gideon's Crossing'' is long-gone, and I'm one of those folks who think Braugher's showy role forced him to go a bit melodramatic, but figure that Martin Sheen and Rob Lowe's nominations may cancel each other out, that even Academy members may be tired of giving the Emmy to Dennis Franz, and that -- who knows? -- all that sex 'n' violence on the fabulous ''Sopranos'' may prevent James Gandolfini from copping his well-deserved second in a row. Viewed this way, Braugher is a shoo-in.

The dismay side of the list is longer. No major nominations for ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''! A curse on the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences! No best drama nod for deserving rookie ''CSI''! May the forensic scientists find incriminating evidence in the fibers of Academy members' shag rugs! No big noms for ''Gilmore Girls'' or ''Ed''! Whatsa matter? Couldn't figure out if they were comedies or dramas? You goofballs: These new shows deserved recognition for doing something fresh!

And as much as I like Sela Ward's performance in ''Once & Again,'' she won last year. Why not spread some credit and nominate costar Billy Campbell or any of those terrific teen actors who play their kids? Shame on the Academy.

Finally, two very different complaints. Seems to me that, going into its last season, ''Friends'' -- and specifically Matt LeBlanc, who was especially adroit this year -- deserved more than Jennifer Aniston's and Lisa Kudrow's mutually canceling supporting-actress nominations.

And most grievously, the Academy ignored what was away and by far the best TV movie made this past season, HBO's civil-rights stunner ''Boycott.'' That this show and its raft of great performances should be passed over in favor of treacle like ''Laughter on the 23rd Floor'' and ''For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story'' is a crying shame.

What shows and actors are you glad were nominated, or feel were ignored?