Replying to a 19-day-old comment is totally the thing to do, right? /s
Anyway, I always tell people, when they express an interest in Doctor Who, to watch the episode 'Blink'. It's a litmus test: if you don't like the episode, you won't like Doctor Who; if you do like it, you will enjoy Doctor Who at least a little.
Another commenter mentioned the soft reboot of the show, 'Blink' is an episode that comes after the soft reboot, so it is more accessible than older Doctor Who episodes (although I personally love Pertwee episodes, but that's a whole comment thread in itself). Blink introduces a new character and a new bad guy, so the viewer is introduced to both the Doctor and the bad guy just as the new character is. The Doctor himself isn't on screen much either; most of the story focuses on this new character. She has to solve something of a mystery while staying ahead of a bad guy that she doesn't even realize exists (so there is some suspense, too).
Like I said, if you bounce off this episode, you won't much like any other episodes. It's a really handy way of seeing if Doctor Who is right for you.
Finished Scalzi's latest, Starter Villain. It was alright. I felt like the intro went on for a long time, like I was halfway through the book and it still had a 'Luke in Mos Eisley Cantina' vibe (imho). But it was a quick read, and not too heavy. SF, but not heavily SF (the story takes place entirely on Earth, for example).