The new tween musical-fantasy sitcom “How to Rock” (7:30 p.m., Nickelodeon) proves that some stories and themes never go out of style. Mean girls just need a nudge to become nice, and ugly ducklings just have to get past freshman year to become swans.

On a side note, I just wonder if kids still want to “rock”? Or if the word “rock” has any meaning left as either a noun or a verb. After all, it’s going on 60 years since Bill Haley invited juvenile delinquents to “Rock Around the Clock,” and almost four decades since Elton John reflected, “I remember when rock was young,” and the Who sang, “Rock is dead.” Heck, it’s conceivable that most viewers of this show weren’t even born when Jack Black ran a “School of Rock” in 2003. And even then, Black’s character seemed to be stuck in a “Wayne’s World” all his own.

”Rock” begins with an up-tempo performance by The Perfs, a musical group and social clique of cruel, self- absorbed girls. They’re dreadful and we’re supposed to hate them, especially Kacey Simon (Cymphonique Miller), because they taunt everyone “beneath” them in the school cafeteria and because all they do is “shop and pose” at the mall.

Kacey’s reign as the alpha monstress ends when fate afflicts her with bad eyes and crooked teeth, requiring glasses and braces. We’re told that Kacey personally redesigned the girls’ bathroom to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars, but it never occurs to her to get contacts. Logic isn’t the lesson here.

The Perfs dump Kacey faster than you can say “Ugly Betty,” forcing her to hang out with another band, Gravity 5, consisting of slightly nerdy guys and a sullen girl bassist who are too shy to know they’d be cool if they tried. Soon, it’s hugs all around when Kacey learns the errors of her snobby ways and lightens up.

While I can see how this story might carry a slight made-for-tweens TV movie, it’s hard to see how far a series can travel on the fumes of such a thin story. On the other hand, the show’s theme song is “Only You Can Be You,” so complexity may not be the goal here.

Tonight’s other highlights

• Shia LaBeouf stars in the 2007 blow-’em-up “Transformers” (7 p.m., ABC). Like a lot of loud, stupid, annoying spectacles, it exists solely to keep its viewers from thinking for hours on end.

• On the eve of the big game, “NFL Honors” (8 p.m., NBC) reflects on the season’s big plays and best players.

• Two dazed astronauts (Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster) wake up with an uneasy feeling in the 2009 shocker “Pandorum” (8 p.m., Syfy).

• Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (9 p.m., CBS): country club killings.

• Channing Tatum hosts “Saturday Night Live” (10:30 p.m., NBC), featuring musical guest Bon Iver.

Series notes

Murder on the gridiron on “Harry’s Law” (7 p.m., NBC) … On back-to-back episodes of “Cops” (Fox): Joy Street (7 p.m.), Crescent Carnival (7:30 p.m.) … The whole ethnic-misunderstanding enchilada on “Rob” (7:30 p.m., CBS).