re: Why is E.T. The most inaccessible film of all time?

I know what you're talking about. I assume it was about money of course. I remember E.T. being at the Lakeside I-IV theaters(not to be confused with Lakeside Mall theaters) for over a year. It was literally in theaters for over a year. That doesn't happen anymore at all and I can't recall a movie in theaters longer than E.T. Then I remember it being rereleased in theaters in the 80's again and it still made bank. I'm assuming there was no good reason for a vhs release when it was still making money at the box office. It did release on VHS in the late 80's. It was also rereleased in theaters in early 2000's too.

Read somewhere that Spielberg was earning $500,000 a day on his share of profits.
I have no idea why you don't see it on TV that much. Maybe keeping it "scarce" so as to keep rereleasing every 10 years or so? I have no idea really.