Some "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fans aren't too happy with TV Guide as of late. And no, it's not because they dissed the show. It's because they decided to go with a surprise pick from the show in their "dream list" for Emmy nominations.

Matt Roush, a longtime reviewer for TV Guide, recently defended the selection of Thomas Lenk, who played Andrew in the series, by TV Guide Online writers to recommend the young actor for an Emmy instead of his very popular co-star, James Marsters (Spike). Roush offered a statement from TV Guide senior editor Michael Ausiello.

"Since we revealed our Emmy-nomination wish list, our e-mailbag has been overstuffed with comments, kudos, criticism and questions," Ausiello said. "While we are huge fans of Marsters, and applaud his glorious tranformation of Spike from heathen to hero, he was crippled by a storyline that often seemed meandering," Ausiello explained. "Lenk, on the other hand, was given more consistent material, and with it, he never failed to make us laugh ... ever."

Roush said that 90 percent of Ausiello's feedback messages were from angry Spike fans, and that Marsters actually finished just off the list, at No. 6.

"My own admiration for Marsters and Spike is pretty well known, so I will now move on, because the chances of either of these deserving actors actually getting an Emmy nomination is about as slim as one of those contestants on UPN's models show," Roush said. "The long odds, when you come to think of it, are why the fantasy ballot exists in the first place: to let many of our favorite underdogs shine. Even then, it's an imperfect process."

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