The Argentine screen experienced a real boom at the end of the 90s with the premiere of Summer of ’98 in Telefe, a youth series created by Cris Morena which catapulted various teenage figures, some of whom continue to stand out on both the small and big screens. However, despite the success, the series was not free of controversies and controversies, 24 years since its premiere.
The plot revolved around a group of young people living in Hope Coast, facing the typical problems of adolescence, such as romances, family conflicts, friendships and betrayals, vocational doubts, illnesses and even departures of loved ones were some of the themes that the characters went through. For three seasons, the series captivated the audience, leaving an indelible mark on an entire generation.
Names like Nahuel Mutti, Marcela Kloosterboer, Agustina Cherri, Tomás and Dolores Fonzi, Juan Ponce de León, Nancy Dupláa and Fernán Mirás They became the emblematic faces of the leading cast, carrying with them the fervor of the time. One of the most remembered characters was Juan Herrera, played by Juan Ponce de León, who contributed a musical touch to the story with the popular song “Nothing can happen to us,” in addition to conquering the hearts of the public with his adventures. .
However, after the second season, Juan decided to leave the project, recently revealing the reason behind his departure. Through a post on Instagram, he shared scenes that showed the use of inappropriate language and the exploration of sensitive topics such as homosexuality in the scripts of the series. Although he acknowledged that fiction was not an educational program, he noted that this It was one of the reasons that led him to resign.
Juan clarified that, although the series reflected the reality of the time, it also transmitted positive messages. With this, he settled one of the speculations that surrounded the novel for years and made clear his position regarding the series’ dialogues.
“Very spicy scriptwriters, right?”, said the actor along with a shot in which scenes of insults and discrimination can be seen. “Remember that it was fiction at 22, not an educational program. Likewise one of the reasons for my resignation was the scripts”Ponce de León blanched.
User responses quickly arrived. One of them asked him the reasons why he did not leave as soon as he noticed all these types of situations. Given this, the actor said: “I did it when I could by contract.” In closing, he indicated: “It reflected what was happening at that time. This is a clip of what were 600 chapters. They also gave good messages…”
Today, the actor is away from the small screen, but continues his career in music, a path that began in the iconic novel. Summer of ’98 not only marked a milestone in Argentine television, but became a cultural phenomenon that continues to be fondly remembered by many.
The telenovela, created by Cris Morena, was produced by Guillermo Pendino and Gustavo Marra, directed by a team composed of Carlos Luna, Gustavo Luppi, Federico Palazzo and Daniel Aguirre, and written by a group of talented screenwriters. Its premiere on January 26, 1998 marked the beginning of a phenomenon that lasted until November 17, 2000. with a total of 679 chapters. What was initially intended as a soap opera to cover the summer programming, became an unprecedented success that managed to stay on the air for three consecutive years.
On March 11, 2018, Telefe broadcast a special program to commemorate the 20 years of Summer of ’98. During this special, the most prominent figures of the cycle were summoned, who shared anecdotes about the filming of the soap opera. The program managed to reach peaks of more than 10 rating points.
At the time, it was rumored that the channel was planning to revive the series for 2019, telling the story of Costa Esperanza 20 years later. It was mentioned that some of the actors were summoned and it was highlighted that Juan Ponce de León had agreed to participate if this production was carried out. But in the end the return did not happen.
