

Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg are TV’s most endearingly odd pair. (VH1)

Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg have so much in common!

The kitchen queen was denied entry into the U.K. in 2008, reportedly because of her conviction for obstruction of justice. Britain also briefly banned Dogg after he got into a fight at Heathrow Airport in 2006.

So really, what better pair to host a cooking show? “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party” airs at 10 p.m. Mondays on VH1. (Confession: It took me a while to get the “pot” pun.)

At the start of the show, the co-hosts create a cool cocktail. Then they cook. Last week’s fried chicken contest prompted Martha to declare, “I can’t lose to the ’hood.” Tonight she and Snoop turn to lobster. She’s much chiller than he is about picking up a live crustacean. But let’s be honest: No one is watching for cooking tips. We want to see if the show is as weird as it sounds. And it is: like when Martha dons what she calls her first “real bling” — a cheese grater on a chain.

But “Martha & Snoop” is also a shining example of reinvention (Martha gains street cred while Snoop tilts toward mainstream) and racial harmony. Martha mixes with hip-hop royalty guests, like Wiz Khalifa and Ice Cube. They defy political correctness with frank, funny (and sometimes tasteless) remarks about race, sex and drugs. As Martha preps a buttermilk bath for her chicken, she informs Snoop, “If you took a buttermilk bath, you’d be whiter.” I’m not sure what she meant, but she’s clearly not afraid to tease Snoop, who teases right back.

And at a time when racial tensions are a concern in the U.S., it’s refreshing to watch a 75-year-old Connecticut Yankee and boyz from the hood having a good time. One of tonight’s guests, hip-hop impresario Rick Ross, sweet-talks Martha by telling her, “Baby’s got back.” And she politely replies, “Thank you.”