By Anthony Voelpel

If it’s true about laughing being a great calorie burner, then a steady diet of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” could have viewers skinny in weeks. How good has season six of “Curb” been? Well, in the words of Larry David it’s been “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” After nearly a two-year hiatus, Larry, Cheryl and their friends are back for another season of sharp sarcasms and outrageously hilarious situations.

It doesn’t matter if viewers have been watching “Curb” since 2000 or 2005, once that familiar melody enters their brain during the opening scene, they will know that they’re in for an amazing 30 minutes. Already through six episodes, there have been fair shares of uncomfortable moments, beginning in the first episode entitled “Meet The Blacks.” Cheryl (Larry’s wife) persuades Larry into adopting a family that has lost its home due to a deadly hurricane. Right when the Blacks are introduced, of course, Larry has to make a remark about their last name.

The Blacks have provided much of the plot and comedy this season. Loretta (Vivica A. Fox), who is not fond of Larry right off the bat, is the leader of the family. Her brother Leon (J.B. Smoove), who already lives in Los Angeles, packs up his things and moves in as well. Since Leon’s premiere in the second episode, he has been nothing short of comic gold. Right from the get go, he and Larry form a brotherly type of bond, which grows more solemn and ridiculous as the episodes progress.

Sometimes one can tend to forget that most of the dialogue is completely compromised around the storylines created by Larry David. Maybe it seems impossible for anyone to engage in conversations so preposterous (e.g. when Susie banned Larry from her house in episode two). Either way that it’s looked at it, the acting has been more than superb.

Jeff, Ted Danson and Marty Funkhauser are proving they’re also in top form. Ted’s simple demeanor as a “girlfriend” to all the women on the show is strangely funny and Marty’s voice as well as his keen sense of smell alone (episode three) causes one to drop their popcorn. Jeff’s wife Susie often steals the spotlight as the mean-spirited character and Larry’s nemesis. Her frequent F-bombs and tirades (usually directed toward Larry) make the viewer laugh out loud.

Guest appearances have been plentiful as well. Tim Meadows, Tia Carrera, John McEnroe and Kevin Farley (as Mike the Exterminator in episode six) all give ample cameos. Maybe it’s Larry’s character that brings out the best in his peer actors and the fact that it’s so easy to hate him.

There’s not a more suited actress to play Larry’s wife either. Throughout the season, Cheryl has had to swallow hard and back up some of the ludicrous situations Larry gets himself into (like when he got caught stealing flowers from Marty’s mother’s memorial site). And just like prior seasons, Larry is frequently thrown in the doghouse.

So let’s see if the “Curb” checklist is complete so far. Lose three pounds due to laughter, check. Makes the viewer feel uncomfortable (more times than once), check. Makes one despise Larry David at some point, check. Adopt Leon as a favorite character, check.

With so many classic moments already in season six, it’s going to be very tough to top. But if there were one person that could never doubted in terms of creativity and absurdness, it would be Larry David.

Comedian Larry David, star of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” returns with his off-color antics Sunday nights on HBO. (l.yimg.com)