Chewy, I think the new series will give you a perfect indication of what Doctor Who is all about. Season One, with the 9th Doctor, is incredibly stand-out among the series. If nothing else, their special effect budget for, say, one episode is larger than an entire season of the original series...

Seriously, though, I think you'll dig the concept. Also, just as a side-note, the character of "Prometheus" was always somewhat inspired by The Doctor. I think that will be self-evident once you've seen a few episodes...