Well, the TV actually sits out from tha wall about 6" and the speaker will only protrude past the fron of it a few more, they really don't look bad when wall mounted, IMO, especially considering the mains are Floostanders(?) which already stick out from the wall.
Yes there are center channel speaker stands, well just about any speaker stand the right height will work. Do some searching online for speaker stands and the height you want. You also mount a shelf below the TV to place the speaker on as well. I have done this to allow a DVD player to be placed close enough for use with the TV and keep the cables up high.
Good Luck.