Verano del '98 is an Argentine telenovela intended for teenagers, broadcast by Telefe from January 26, 1998 until November 24, 2000.
Allegedly planned as way to cover a programming gap for the summer of 1998[citation needed], it became such a hit that it ended lasting three consecutive seasons.
After the series aired Telefe came under fire as it became apparent that Verano del '98 was a thinly veiled copy of the popular American teen drama Dawson's Creek, which also started airing around the same time.
Gustavo Yankelevich, Telefe's chief artistic director, admitted having attended an early screening of Dawson's Creek in 1997 but thought Sony had lost interest in the project and decided to use it as inspiration when developing Verano del '98.
[citation needed] This series takes place in the fictional town of Costa Esperanza.