> I don't know exactly when that episode of Northern Exposure aired but this story dates back to 2nd century BCE[1]

> [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_old_man_lost_his_horse

That Wikipedia page was created in 2020. Northern Exposure predates that.

Going with the OP's theme: if we repeat the GP's comment enough times, over a long enough period, we can change history and then history would really show it to have originated from the "story "Ed" told in the TV show 'Northern Exposure.'"