It's a design patent, so yes. Previous use of an equivalent design on a TV show is a good as design anywhere else.

On the other hand, if someone invents a working replicator, Star Trek will not count as prior art. :-)

Donald Duck was used as prior art to invalidate a method of ship raising. This was discussed at length on HN six months ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2232857

You'd be hard pressed to invalidate a utility patent with some footage from a movie, because it probably wouldn't be "enabling." But design patents just claim ornamental designs.

It can certainly happen before patents are approved. A description in Robert Heinlein's book, 'Stranger in a Strange Land' was used as prior art to prevent a patent on water beds.

Regular [Utility] Patents can be invalidated by any prior disclosure of the invention, it doesn't matter what form that disclosure is in provided it is rendered in public (and, with a few more conditions, not part of a recognised trade show in the US).

There's a UK patent application, a doggy doorbell IIRC, that was refused based on a British children's comic called the Beano anticipating it.