When it comes to meta comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm hasn’t just broken the fourth wall, it’s utterly taken a wrecking ball to it, says streaming columnist NICK OVERALL.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is the show about Larry David written by Larry David who also stars as Larry David, a famous TV producer trying to navigate his way through retirement in Los Angeles.

David, who shot to fame after co-creating “Seinfeld”, plays a fictionalised version of himself – a cranky, awkward old man who makes no effort to hide his disdain for the rapidly changing world around him. Case in point: calling Apple’s Siri a “c***” in the show’s newest episode.

After 11 seasons that have spanned a remarkable 24 years, the new season now streaming on Binge will be the final outing for David and Curb Your Enthusiasm as the 76-year-old decides to throw in the towel on the cult-followed series.

Its longevity has outlasted even that of “Seinfeld”, so what is it that has made Curb Your Enthusiasm resonate for so long?

Well much like the misadventures of Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine, Curb has an absurd focus on the minutiae of social problems and the extreme lengths one might go to overcome them.

Take season five’s episode The Ski Lift, a fan-favourite where David pretends to be an Orthodox Jew in order to befriend the head of an organ-donation organisation with hopes of getting his friend bumped up the kidney transplant list. 

David, of course, hatches this ridiculous plan after being unwilling to part with his own kidney.

Or if that’s not ludicrous enough, what about the season seven episode The Black Swan, where David accidentally kills the majestic bird while playing golf. The swan turns out to be the local club’s beloved mascot, leaving David to cover up a murder where his prized putter is the weapon of interest. 

It’s unknown how many of these farcical ideas actually come from real-life scenarios but it seems there’s certainly no shortage of inspiration.

In a recent incident David was forced to make a public apology to Elmo, yes, from Sesame Street, after attacking him live on air on the US Today Show.

It sounds like an idea straight out of a TV script, but no, David actually did express his regrets to the furry, red glove puppet on national television.

One might think then that Curb Your Enthusiasm almost writes itself, but part of what keeps this show fresh is just how much of it is improvised.

There’s often no script apart from the wacky situation, which becomes the framework for actors to impart their own comedy on, leading to some truly unexpected results.

From moments where David has dated someone who uses a wheelchair to score social points, to wearing a MAGA hat to repel unwanted company, to a particularly notorious episode titled “the N word”, Curb has a zero-tolerance policy for political correctness.

And yet despite these touchy subjects, it has somehow always managed to duck and weave the cancel culture of the modern age.

Even David doesn’t quite know why this is the case. In a 2022 interview when asked how he manages to get away with it, the comedian replied: “I don’t know. It’s a very good question.

“There were fans of the show, they liked the show. And they have a good sense of humour. The fans of the show don’t care about political correctness.”

It certainly hasn’t stopped an incredible run of guest stars who have appeared on the series over more than two decades and who have also played themselves.

Woody Harrelson, Shaquille O’Neal, Martin Scorsesse, Wanda Sykes, Ben Stiller, Michael J Fox, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ted Danson, Richard Lewis… the list goes on. No doubt fans will also be treated to a few more big names as well for the show’s farewell season.

And it seems David certainly isn’t taking his foot off the pedal for this last outing. In the first episode  he’s already lamenting the fact he has to give a “condolence tip” to a waitress who just lost her mother. 

One can only imagine what Curb Your Enthusiasm has cooked up for its grand finale.