Television producer, broadcaster and arts impresario. Born in Glasgow, Isaacs was educated at Merton College, Oxford. He joined Granada Television as a producer (1958) and worked on programmes such as What The Papers Say and, for the BBC, Panorama. Isaacs has produced some of the most significant historical documentaries made for British television, such as The World At War (1975), made in 26 episodes, Ireland: A Television History (1981) and the Cold War (1998). He has been Director of Programs at Thames Television and was the first Chief Executive of Channel Four Television (1981-87), doing much to shape the reputation of that channel for quality alternative programming.