How ironic is it that at the same time NBC is introducing two series – “Studio 60” and “30 Rock” – that are thinly based on “Saturday Night Live,” the network is breaking up the old mothership for kindling?

When “Saturday Night Live” returns for its 32d season on Sept. 30, it will have a skeleton staff of an ensemble, with only 11 regulars (down from 16 last year). And not one of the survivors is particularly adaptable in the way, say, Will Ferrell was in his long run on the show.

Ah, well, out with the old; in with the new. “Studio 60” was absolutely my favorite of the shows that debuted this week. It’s bloody brilliant, Watson. BTW, if you watch closely this week, you’ll see “Studio 60” pay tribute to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s TV institution, Gail Shister.

• Don’t hold your breath. My other favorite new series is “Kidnapped” on NBC. Critics are making a big deal of how many serialized dramas are now on the air, shows like “Prison Break,” “Lost,” “Vanished” and “Jericho.” They speculate that the proliferation of to-be-continued storylines may put too many demands on the viewer.

I understand the argument. There are only so many hours you can devote to TV in any given week. But “Kidnapped,” with Timothy Hutton, Dana Delaney and Jeremy Sisto, is so sharp, I might be willing to give up “24” for it.

After watching the premiere, let me share a guess with you. How much do you want to bet that freakish ability of Leopold (Will Denton), the kidnapped billonaire’s son, to hold his breath for minutes at a time (a trait laboriously introduced in the pilot) will turn out to be crucial in the eventual resolution of this case?

• Lip service. I’m sick of this recurring stunt that has “Boston Legal’s” Denny Crane (Bill Shatner) laying long, lingering smooches on every female he gets near. The puffy kissing bandit struck again in the season opener, pasting one on Denise (Julie Bowen).

The thing is, there’s nothing remotely sexy or ardent in Shatner’s uninvited advances. He looks like an overweight lifeguard practicing mouth-to-mouth on a Red Cross dummy.

I liked Denny better when he carried around a pistol and shot people who annoyed him.

• Who am I this time? Speaking of “Boston Legal,” it was quite a week for guest star Jane Lynch (“Best In Show”). On Tuesday on “Boston Legal,” she played a sex surrogate whom James Spader tried to lure out of retirement. The following night, on CBS’s “Criminal Minds,” she played FBI agent Reid’s paranoid schizophrenic mother, who from a mental institution, unleashed a serial killer on her son’s profiling squad.

• A cast from the past. TV is enjoying a “Wings” renaissance. The lineup from that unassuming ’90s sitcom about a puddle-jumping airline on Nantucket is turning up all over primetime. Timothy Daly (pilot Joe Hackett) stars in ABC’s bank hostage drama “The Nine.” Steven Weber (brother Brian) is outstanding as a cutthroat network executive in “Studio 60.” Tony Shalhoub (Antonio the cabbie) is ensconsed as the title character in “Monk.” Thomas Haden Church (Lowell, the loopy mechanic) was Robert Duvall’s saddle tramp partner in this summer’s Western mini, “Broken Trails.”

Basically, that leaves only Crystal Bernard (Helen, the luncheonette dolly). Get out there, girl. When you have “Wings” on your resume, the sky’s the limit.