American TV series credited with reviving British author

Shakespeare bust... actually console

Bat-Man and Robin

For many, it seems as if William Shakespeare has always been a prominent figure in the world of literature. Many forget, however, that Shakespeare had nearly fallen off the 'literary radar" for centuries until the producers of the 1960's Bat-Man TV series (created in America) helped usher in a revival. The bust of William Shakespeare, at the time an obscure and long-dead playwright, was used by the caped-crusaders to open the door to the Bat Cave. (They would roll back the bust to reveal a console with buttons to activate the door.) Lorenzo Semple Jr, one of the scriptwriters for the series (Wikipedia), was also an English literature major and wanted to insert his favorite author as an 'inside' reference. Curiosity in the bust was followed by a cult following which ballooned into mainstream rediscovery of the works of the 'Bard'. You're welcome, England.