The new ABC-Family cable show "The Middleman" had a very quick glimpse of a 555 cord PBX switchboard, used when the office assistant had to make a phone call. The assistant also used the classic 1960s style operator's headset*. (52 series?)
The paused image was fuzzy on my VCR, but it looked like the board was beat-up with missing jack lamps.
The show, a comedy, is a spoof on comic superheros fighting evil. It's strange, but enjoyable. Fast paced. It runs multiple times a week (check local listings).
*Not only did telephone operators wear them, but they were also commonly seen in NASA's Houston control center and on TV cameramen. In the mid-1970s new models came out, with a thin tube replacing the bubble transmitter end and an earpiece replacing the receiver end. (Operators told me they didn't like the internal earpiece).For my cellphone, I bought a Panasonic generic headset for $15 at an big box office supply store and it works fine. I don't mind the cord. It supposedly will work in cordless landline phones, too. I note this since the cellphone stores had fancy headsets for much more money. Also, a friend who has an at&t cellphone says only special headsets will work for their models. I'm not interested in "Bluetooth" units that clip to the ear (where is the transmitter in those things?)
As an aside, some singers wear headsets while performing and dancing. I think that's ugly. When they turn around you can see the transceiver mounted on the back of their outfit. I presume the transmitter on those units is of much higher fidelity than a telephone grade transmitter.