A legal claim engulfs the copyright on the famous blue Police box. How could the Doctor travel through time and space without it?

With less than a fortnight to go until Doctor Who's 50th anniversary, a dark cloud has been cast over the celebrations. Stef Coburn, whose father Tony wrote the very first episode, claims his family owns the copyright to the Tardis, the Time Lord's powerful yet unreliable runaround. He insists that the BBC must either remove it from the show or pay for every use since his dad's death in 1977.

But don't despair. Even if this is the end of the road for the famous blue police box, we've come up with some modern-day alternatives:

A big red bus

Like the original Tardis, this would lurch about terrifyingly, throw its passengers to the ground, and deliver them somewhere they had no intention of visiting. "The destination of this Tardis has changed. If you have paid by cash or card, please see the Time Lord for a voucher for your onward travel. We apologise for any Dalek attacks."

A budget hotel bedroom

Watch the Doctor's companions' jaws drop as they squeeze through the door and gaze around the interior. "But, but, but…", they'll exclaim, launching the show's new catchphrase: "It's bigger on the website!"

A friendly payday loan shop

As older viewers will remember, the Doctor's vessel was meant to blend in effortlessly with its surroundings, but then something went wrong with its "chameleon circuit". What better disguise could there be in 2013 than a payday lender? There are now more than 550 branches of the Money Shop alone; surely no one would notice one more?

An 'iconic' skyscraper

Rather than trying to blend in with its surroundings, the Tardis could always make itself so ugly everyone tries to blot it out, as pioneered by London's "Walkie-Talkie" skyscraper, 20 Fenchurch Street.

A Ukip rally

Instantly transports all those who enter to a happier time when foreigners knew their place. Warning: you may end up stranded in the past.