This page covers 1985 through 2009.
For 1953 through 1984 please go to page 1.
For 2010 through the present go to page 3.
This Telequipment S51 Oscilloscope appears about 4 minutes into the 1985 Back To The Future in Doc Brown's lab.
A Tektronix 4051 appears in this scene in the 1985 movie D.A.R.Y.L.
This scene features a number of Tektronix products including the 4051, a 7000 series oscilloscope, and TM500 and TM5000 instruments.
This March 28, 1986 TekWeek features an article on D.A.R.Y.L.
Tektronix oscilloscopes were featured in the 1985 movie Real Genius staring Val Kilmer. This scene at about 28 minutes in the film shows a T922 15 MHz oscilloscope.
This second scent at about 72 minutes shows a 555 30 MHz dual beam oscilloscope with a Type A vertical plug-in on the left and a Type L vertical plug-in on the right. The two horizontal plug-ins are a Type 21 and 22. Virtually both were always bought with Type 555 mainframe.
A Telequipment D83 oscilloscope with a V4 and S2A plug-in appears in the 1985 movie Spies Like Us at about 11 minutes.
A number of Tektronix oscilloscopes were seen in the 1988 TV show Probe. The show ran only a pilot and 6 episodes. This scene shows a 530 or 540 series oscilloscope.
A very out of focus 2236 appears in the foreground of the 1986 movie Space Camp at about 50 minutes.
The 1989 movie Honey I Shrunk The Kids features a Tektronix oscilloscope and plug-ins on a 200 series Scope-Mobile. We can't 100% identify the oscilloscope as it differs in the slightest way from standard models. The oscilloscope and right Scope-Mobile plug-in could be a 53/54A, 53/54B, Type A, or Type B as they are all nearly identical in appearance. The same plugin is on the right in the Scope-Mobile and on the left is a 53/54D or a Type D.
The BBC series Red Dwarf, 1992 Season 5 Episode 1 Holoship, features a Type 502 oscilloscope in this scene. The 502 is a 1 MHz dual beam oscilloscope with differential inputs and common horizontal deflection.
Maniac Mansion was a TV family comedy that ran for three seasons from September 1990, to April 1993. It was about a dim-witted Professor (Joe Flaherty of Second City TV) and his eccentric family. Tektronix oscilloscopes appear in many episodes. These scenes shows a ~1961 515A oscilloscope.
The 1993 movie The Real McCoy features a Tektronix 222A miniscope.
The 1994 movie Stargate features a 7704A 200 MHz oscilloscope at 23 minutes.
The 1994 movie Blue Sky features a Type 581A oscilloscope with a Type 82 plug-in on a Type 500 series Scope-Mobile.
The 1996 movie Chain Reaction features a Type 545B oscilloscope near the end of the movie.
The 1997 movie Contact featured a Tektronix four channel TDS420 oscilloscopes.
The 1997 movie Steel features an Advantest R3265A (or R3365A, R3271A, or R3371A) spectrum analyzer on the top shelf at 57 minutes 37 seconds. While technically not a Tektronix product and is branded Advantest, it was sold by Tektronix and listed in the 1995 catalog.
A TLA704 Logic Analyzer and TDS784 oscilloscope appeared in the 1997 science fiction action film Face/Off staring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. In addition, the film was edited on a Tektronix Lightworks non-linear editing system. Its editors were Christian Wagner and Steven Kemper, both of whom have lengthy lists of film credits. Two other just released films utilizing Lightworks editing systems are ConAir and Batman & Robin. This July 11, 1997 TekWeek describes the film and these products.
A number of Tek scopes were featured in the 2000 Australian film The Dish about the Parkes Observatory's role in relaying live television of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. These scenes are from about 15 minutes into the movie.
This scene shows rack with three Tektronix oscilloscopes - a RM561A oscilloscope with a 3A6 vertical and 3B3 time base plug-in at the top, a RM564 storage oscilloscope with a 3A6 vertical and 2B67 time base plug-in in the middle, and a RM561 oscilloscope with a 3A74 vertical and 67 time base plug-in at the bottom.
This scene shows a close-up of the bottom oscilloscope, a RM561 with a 3A74 vertical and 67 time base plug-in.
This scene shows a closeup of the middle oscilloscope, a RM564 with a 3A6 vertical and 2B67 time base plug-in.
The 2001 A Beautiful Mind film features a Type 512 oscilloscope at about 92 minutes. This is an early serial number 512 as the top three controls are in-line. Later serial numbers lowered the middle knob. It's also kind of magical as the screen has a very nice green glow but the power switch and pilot light are both off!
The 2002 movie Deep Freeze features a Type 503 as their "radio" at about 39 minutes.
A deranged individual destroys the "radio" with his shotgun. You can see the microphone plugged into the 503 as the smoke clears.
This 3054 oscilloscope appears just about 3 minutes into the 2003 movie The Core.
Two Tektronix oscilloscopes are featured in this scene from the 2005 Lost episode The Hatch. On the left is a 531A oscilloscope on a 500 series Scope-Mobile and on the right is a 502 oscilloscope on a 200 series Scope-Mobile.
This scene from the 2004 Season 5 Episode 14 of Angel Smile Time is interesting. We can't see the front to identify the instrument but it appears to be either a 2200 or 2400 series oscilloscope. What is interesting is those are the feet that are on top so they are viewing it upside down!
A Type 575 Curve Tracer appears at ~39 minutes in the 2004 movie The Punisher. It seems to be magically hovering over a Scope-Mobile.
This Type 543 oscilloscope and 500 series Scope-Mobile appears at 1:40:24 in the 2007 NOVA Season 34 Episode 8 Forgotten Genius. The plug-in is likely a Type 53/54C which later became the Type CA. The plug-in in the Scope-Mobile is likely a Type 53/54L which later became the Type L. The episode highlights Percy Julian, a 20th Chemist, whose work underlies the development of steroid drugs and their economical manufacture.
A Type 5223 oscilloscope appears in the 2008 movie Doomsday at about 24 minutes. The movie takes place in 2028 and production for the 5223 ended in 1988, so this product enjoyed a 40 year life.
A RM564 oscilloscope appears at 33:22 in the 2008 Season 4, Episode 5, of Lost - The Constant in the radio room on the freighter.
10 seconds later, this 453 or 454 oscilloscope can be seen.
A 2215 oscilloscope appears at ~13:00 in the 2008 Season 4, Episode 14, of Lost - There’s No Place Like Home pt3. Benjamin Linus carries the 2215 oscilloscope across the screen while collecting random metal objects at the Orchid station.
A 2400 series oscilloscope appeared in season 12 episode 4 of the British television detective drama Midsomer Murders The Glitch in 2009.
A Type 575 Curve Tracer appears at 17:22 in Warehouse 13, Season 1, Episode 7, Implosion which aired in 2009.
For 2010 to the present please go to page 3.