It's hard to add a lot to Jim Akin's tremendous post, but I'll try.
Jim Akin wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:56 am
I can't believe Ross's name for the sleazy hotel across from GCPD HQ, the "Hero Inn" (which became the Hotel Sleazy in production) lasted through his final script: A dope pun? Implying the place was a drug den? I doubt the network would have let it fly, and I'm surprised no one called it out in any of the drafts.
Great catch. I have to admit, maybe I'm still too naive at age 54, but I missed it. Of course, he later mentioned LSD in the treatment, so I should've figured it out.
I'd have thought Horwitz & Co. would've put out the word to writers about season three budget and casting constraints, but maybe not, since Ross thought he could get away with giving the gang four henchmen, all with speaking parts. (I bet SRR was heartbroken to lose his awful "Four Horseman of the apocryphal" gag! Sheesh.)
Interesting observation. I almost think by this juncture, with the treatment being dated Sept. 25, that it was a sort of silent protest by Ross. He'd already seen some of his planned setpieces for Wail of The Siren, for instance, taken out before the first draft. He had to know the budget had been cut severely, but it's almost as if he wanted to pitch expensive, hard-to-shoot scenes for his own enjoyment, knowing they'd be excised.
In a similar vein, he has a line in the treatment in which Catwoman says, 'the only way I'll ever kill Batman is with love and kindness.' It's as if he also was trying to rebel against the new edict of 'ixnay on the romance angle between Batman and CW.'
In the first draft, one of the commenters struck Robin's second line after Batman's courtroom summation: "You were great, Batman. *A regular Judd.*" The purged line riffed on the then-current ABC courtroom drama "Judd for the Defense." I guess Ross thought it'd be funny since Batman was prosecutor? Who knows. Losing the line was a good move.
Good call by you. My best guess is by then, the attitude of TPTB was, 'they're about to cancel us anyway, so why do Fox and ABC a solid?' Judd was a Fox and ABC show. Remember, they had used a pre-Cabala Duff in a window cameo to plug Felony Squad, also a Fox and ABC show.
Moving the lighthouse explosion to before the courtroom scene, and losing the second trip there was a good idea. Losing the business about the stolen Batmobile key was even better, though part of me would like to see the "Batminicar" mentioned in the treatment.

Agree completely.
I never liked the idea of Batgirl copping evidence on the sly. It makes her look like a glory hound. At least it's somewhat improved in the final by having Batman be smart enough to notice. But for him to accept Joker's handshake, especially after the exploding cigar at the beginning, is horrible. I hated when Ross made Batman into a complete idiot.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17