The "Stained Glass Knight" took Industrial Light & Magic artists four months to create.
(At around nine minutes) When young Sherlock Holmes (Nicholas Rowe) and John Watson (Alan Cox) first meet, Holmes incorrectly guesses that Watson's first initial stands for "James". This is a reference to one of the contradictions in the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories. In most of the stories, Watson's first name is John, but in one story, his wife inexplicably calls him "James". Watson's middle initial is "H", which Doyle never expanded upon. There is a popular fan speculation that it stands for "Hamish", which is the Scottish variation of "James", and that this is a private term of endearment used by his wife.
The opening credit sequence (a shadow moving across the ground) was an homage to the opening credit sequence of the classic Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson film franchise.
Alan Cox (John Watson) went through a growth spurt during filming. In the later scenes of this movie, he is seen shot more frequently in a slight distance or seated, and actors around him were standing on risers.