NBC’s George to the Rescue, hosted by Montclair’s George Oliphant, straddles the airwaves as a human-interest-story-meets-home-renovation-reveal show.
The new 12-episode season, which begins on September 23, includes five filmed in New Jersey.
“Our East Orange project features a single mom who suffered a brain bleed and seizure. Her daughter asked us to rescue her mother’s garden sanctuary, and CLC Landscape Design is helping us out,” Oliphant says. “Sometimes hard-working people simply fall on bad luck and run out of time and money, so we help get them to a better place.”
Back in 2002, as a film and theater major, Oliphant built stage sets, and learned to use tools and hang wallpaper. Just one year later, he landed an on-camera appearance with MTV, followed by gigs on First Look New York and Open House.
Today, George to the Rescue is syndicated in most U.S. cities and has global fans. Nominated for five Daytime Emmy awards in seven years, the series has earned 10 local and two national Emmys. Oliphant says, “My kids get a kick out of it. We’ll be at the mall standing in line at the Gap, or at the airport in Minnesota, and somebody will say, ‘Hey, I know you!’”
George, Zoe, their youngest children and dog Sugar hang out in the breakfast nook, waiting for the older kids to return from camp. Photo: Laura Moss
When he’s taking a break from starring in and executive producing the show, Oliphant tackles projects in his own abode, a beautiful 1912 Montclair home formerly owned by his grandparents, with his wife, Zoe. They have four children, ages 5-15.
“There’s been an Oliphant in this house for 80 years,” George says. “We’ve done a lot of upgrading, but we were careful to keep the good bones of this residence. I think my ancestors would approve.”
Adds Zoe: “We’ve made it our own over the years by mixing old with new. The result is an antique English Tudor, reimagined in a flirty, New England way.”
Oliphant’s latest home project? “Right now, I’m building a game room for the kids with ping-pong, foosball and darts,” he says. “But no video games or TV. […] Zoe and I are designing a screen-free room.”
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