Big Little Lies. All Her Fault. The Flight Attendant. The Undoing. The Perfect Couple. Ride or Die. What do these TV shows and movies have in common? They’re known in Hollywood as “white wine thrillers,” one of the most in vogue genres right now.

“It was just three years ago when Bela Bajaria revealed the internal label for Netflix’s programming ideal, the gourmet cheeseburger,” explains Mikey O’Connell in an article called “Shooting Blancs: Why Hollywood is Drunk on ‘White Wine Thrillers,” in The Hollywood Reporter. “Evoking populist fare with a garnish of prestige, it seemed like the only dining-related descriptor the TV industry would ever need. But there’s a new moniker on the rise… white wine thrillers.”

O’Connell says the trio of words is so evocative it barely needs definition, but here’s his anyway: “A white wine thriller can get dark but not too dark. The body count is kept low. One, two murders tops. There must be aspirational elements, typically wealthy characters wearing Brunello Cucinelli while emotionally unraveling in Nancy Meyers-worthy kitchens. White wine thrillers are often adaptations of books. And, pivotally, they are centered on female protagonists and marketed with a female audience in mind. The characters may drink white wine. They frequently do. The real implication is that the viewer is drinking it as they watch.”

Exactly. Or as O’Connell notes of the A-list actress who seems to be in almost every one of these shows (Big Little Lies, The Perfect Couple, The Undoing, Nine Perfect Strangers), “If Nicole Kidman is in the mix, keep a corkscrew within arm’s reach.”

The white wine thriller label traces back to Peacock, according to Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBC and Peacock, who says, “It was just after All Her Fault, we were talking about female-led thrillers, and one of the executives called them white wine thrillers. I don’t know what that conjures for you, but I like wine. To me, white wine feels lighter, refreshing, enjoyable. It goes down easy. You don’t feel bad the next day.”

Red wine thrillers keep some of the same ingredients while removing much of the comfort, writes digital cultural publication MiscelAna.

“There is more violence, more grime and a considerably worse emotional hangover. Sharp Objects, starring Amy Adams, is the perfect example,” it says. “Women, family, trauma, crime and a small town are all there, but nobody finishes that story feeling refreshed.”

An unnamed producer tells O’Connell, “A red wine thriller stains your teeth, it’s tannic,” adding, “Peacock and Hulu are definitely looking for white wine thrillers, Netflix and HBO Max might skew more red.”

All Her Fault is the current industry white wine thriller standard, the most watched original series in Peacock’s history until the network’s more-recent Five Star Weekend came along, which flirts with white wine thriller territory though it is less of a thriller per se. Still, Peacock in July announced it was profitable, no doubt with the help of these white wine thrillers.

“It’s such a good phrase because you immediately understand exactly what it means,” adds Tessa Coates, the comedian-turned-showrunner of Amazon Prime’s Ride or Die. “But thrillers, when correctly done, are incredibly difficult to pull off. The fact that you enjoy them with a white wine is not a damning thing. White wine makes it clear that we’re here for a bit of fun.”

Grab a bottle and the remote and dig in. Nicole Kidman is waiting.