Before I get to “Heaven,” not the place but the goofy documentary of that title by Barbara Walters that airs tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC, I need to talk about the last episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Larry David’s loony take on the afterlife kept up the hopeful, lighter tone of this season; Larry has become almost likable, and more willing to embrace new notions and beliefs. When Larry leaves Los Angeles to meet his supposed Gentile birth parents – and to become, briefly, a God-fearing Christian who forgives and forgets – it’s a triumph that proves the power of positive thinking in comedy. It’s so much funnier to see the characters we love embracing change, not rejecting it out of cynicism; Larry has recently done so in ways that made this season the best one yet.Thanks to Larry, I will never again leave a DVD out of its sleeve without considering what it means to have a “system” for putting them away. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, that means you’re wasting your time watching “Grey’s Anatomy.”

I kept thinking about Larry’s trip to Heaven in that finale – and his comic depiction of the afterlife, with Dustin Hoffman as a cranky guardian angel, and himself with a full, flowing mane of hair – while watching the fascinating jumble of ideas in the ABC documentary anchored by Ms. Walters. (May I say, Barbara – you’re looking so good, I think you could even dispense with a filter or two on your camera!) In two dozen interviews with religious leaders, theologians, and Richard Gere, the broadcast seeks to lay out a plausible explanation for Heaven and what it might involve.

Her producers have lined up every cultural reference to Heaven ever made in Hollywood, including its use as a metaphor. (The relevance of a film clip with Fred Astaire singing “I’m in Heaven …” was never quite made clear.) The point seemed to be that we know nothing about Heaven, really, or else we’d be presenting a more consistent vision of the place in movies. Surprisingly, a large number of the people she speaks to seem to buy into the notion of Heaven as an all-white place with pearly gates and such. Why does no one ever present Heaven as a kind-of upbeat Wisteria Lane, where everyone has a house and a pool and a spouse and a lover? Could be interesting.

But Ms. Walters’s main preoccupation here seems to be to justify our belief in Heaven, and not to feel silly for wanting to go there when we die. The notion of Heaven as a preferred destination sustains a significant part of the world population; it’s a powerful motivational tool for good. And as a counterpoint to all the insipid programming that takes over during the Christmas season, tonight’s documentary manages to illuminate some of the shadows of faith – and to remind us how religion plays a role not only in how we live, but also in what we dream about and wish for.

I believe it’s within the bounds of faith to wish for the return of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” for another season. I want to see how Mr. David would rise to the challenge of finding a new set of tribulations to consume him; this season’s obsessions with Richard Lewis’s kidney, his family crisis, and the usual mix of obnoxious kids and cripples kept my attention in ways that sitcoms don’t. Even “Seinfeld” never quite matched “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in human insight; as a comedy of manners, “Curb” has no real equal. If there’s television in heaven, I hope it gets HBO.

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I don’t understand why the people behind the new “Nightline” don’t see the enormity of their miscalculation, and start over. My experience has always suggested that when everyone has the same opinion of something, there’s probably some legitimacy to it – and precious few critics have had anything kind to say about the recent re-launchwith three anchors and no focus.

If executive producer James Goldston is paying attention, then he must realize the current format doesn’t work.The attempts at humor have been feeble, and the stabs at duplicating Mr. Koppel’s “town meeting” format have been noble failures. None of the three anchors – Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran, or Martin Bashir – has enough charisma to keep the Koppel crowd around, let alone cultivate a new audience. Let’s face it; America has spoken, and it wants comedy with its news at that hour. If ABC wants to break the mold in late night, why not have some real fun in the process?

The wonderful Sarah Silverman could get the job done. I’d love to see ABC anoint the 35-year-old comedian the host of a half-hour news-oriented comedy show at 11:30 each weeknight and give the comedy boys some real competition. Watch the ratings go up, too. The obvious thing might be to pair her with boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel – who has the post-“Nightline” slot – but I’d rather her see her solo, and in a Jon Stewart-style format. Sure, she’s likely to lapse into foul language at some point, but so what? Ms. Silverman strikes me as the kind of performer who’d thrive in the network spotlight and might be willing to tone down her act for the chance.Those few of us who still watch “Nightline”got to see Ms.Silverman as a perfectly pleasant, cursefree guest this past Friday – a reminder, as though we needed one, that she’s got more charm than the entire “Nightline” team put together.

dblum@nysun.com